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We might be living in a brave new world but Face Silk spotted a place in the market for those looking for style AND comfort. We spent some time with the founder, Agne Didz, to find out more…

Tell us about the journey that lead you to launching FaceSilk…

I have been working in property development since graduating from university, and as most other sectors, the first lockdown impacted property market very significantly. I loved silk for years, and the plain paper surgical masks weren’t cutting it for me. My skin would always get so dry and I even started using my silk scarf under my mask to protect my skin. All of my friends had the same problem, and I quickly realised it’s not just me who was searching for more luxurious, stylish, and comfortable masks! That’s when I decided to reach out to seamstresses across the UK who lost their jobs due to pandemic and work together to make something better. With many years of making bespoke silk wedding gowns, our talented London-based seamstresses are now the magic behind all of our 100% Silk products.

What has been the biggest learning curve since launching the business?

The biggest learning curve we have had to overcome since launching the business is definitely trial and error and learning to bounce back from failures! Not all ideas go to plan. We had all kinds of ideas for styles and colours, but not all of them were loved as much as we would have liked. So it has definitely been a learning curve seeing which products people love most, and learning to bounce back when something doesn’t succeed as much as we thought it would, then re-evaluating and developing even better ideas.

Do you have plans to expand your product range in the future, if so, what will you add?

Yes! We have lots of new silk products in development. In fact whilst you are reading this, we might have actually launched some of our new products! We are already selling silk pillowcases, scrunchies, face masks. We are working very hard to launch some amazing sleepwear and a Spring/Summer collection in the near future which we are so excited about!

Looking back since launching the brand, is there anything you would do different?

As cliché as it sounds, I really wouldn’t want to do anything different, it has all been such an amazing experience! We’ve had days where we sold more masks in one day then we can make in a whole week to seeing our masks on celebrities. If I HAD to say one thing though, maybe we would slow down, and take more time to process everything because sometimes in all the excitement and creativity you forget to slow down, and take a breather! It has all been so worth it though!

Talk us through an average day in your life…

There is really no average day in my life since launching FaceSilk. I love to plan but it never goes by the plan anymore, every day is so different! Some days I am helping pack masks for customers, other days I’m out snapping pictures with a photographer. As a young business we receive amazing opportunities every single day, and we have to just jump on it and make it reality! I have always been a go-getter so every day I think about what we should be doing next.

How much has social media played a role in the success of your brand?

Social media has definitely played a huge role in the success of FaceSilk! We are super close with our customer and always active on social media brainstorming new products, colourways, and ideas! We have also been fortunate enough to have featured in Vogue, Hello, Harper’s Bazaar, and Tatler magazines to name a few which most definitely have helped the success of the brand, and for this we are so grateful!

What is your go-to quote when lacking motivation?

Every problem is a gift—without problems we would not grow. I think the biggest takeaway I’ve had from starting my own business is that there will always be problems. How I know we are making progress is the quality of our problems increases.

What’s your ten year goal?

We definitely want to expand to wide range of silk products to help people take care of their skin. Silk is known to be the secret of silky hair and smooth skin. Most of the people see silk as luxurious, hard to access item and we want to bridge that gap for every girl!

What does self care mean to you?

I think last year changed the whole perspective of self-care for almost everyone. I lived in this never-stopping world where I worked 14 hours per day for other people and never thought about myself. In March 2020 when the whole world slowed down instead of rushing around, I got to sit down, breath in and finally ask what I want… I think the most important thing for self-care is learning to be okay with saying no to the things that don’t make me happy and not being afraid to say yes to exciting opportunities.

Where can people find out more?

Visit our website www.FaceSilk.co.uk and let’s keep in touch on our Instagram @face.silk. For personal queries you can always contact me on agne@facesilk.co.uk.

Empowering yoga teachers and healers to build profitable, impactful businesses is the name of the game for Meg Sangimino. An impactful and inspiring coach, Meg is the real deal. We spent some time with her to find out more about her career, plans for the future and so much more.

Read on to be inspired…

Tell us the story that lead you to launching your brand, Meg Sangimino Yoga…

After receiving my 200hr Yoga Teacher Training, I was passionate about jumping into my yoga teaching career full force and sharing my love of yoga with as many students as possible. I believe that yoga and mindfulness practices allow you to show up in this world more fully and confidently, something we all strive for in one way or another. As a former athlete, I wanted to introduce yoga to athletes struggling with anxiety and injury recovery (the same way I had!). I started my business by taking on a few private clients so that I could tailor the yoga practice to their specific needs and refine my own skills as a teacher. As I grew my business online, fellow yoga teachers started to reach out to me asking for advice on how to market and sell their own offerings. I took that as a sign from the Universe that I was ready to start coaching so I decided to pivot into coaching yoga teachers to help them kick-start their businesses and scale both their impact and income.

When did you start practicing yoga and what attracted you to it in the first place?

I started practicing yoga when I was in high school struggling with anxiety and stress management (being a teenager is tough, people!). I had no clue I was in for such a life-changing, transformational journey that first day I stepped into a yoga studio. When I was in college, I started to get more serious about my practice and supplemented my athletic training with yoga and meditation. If you’re interested in yoga but you’re not sure where to start, I recommend chatting with a real-life yoga teacher (not just jumping straight to Youtube).

What has been the biggest benefit to your mind and body, since you started doing yoga?

Spoiler alert: it’s not that I’m crazy flexible or can stand on my head! The biggest benefit from my yoga practice has been my ability to control my reactions in situations more intentionally. Yoga puts a large emphasis on mind and body awareness so being able to face my emotions with pure awareness and less judgment has absolutely changed my life and improved my relationships dramatically.

You’ve pivoted from engineering into yoga, a bold move! How did you achieve this so successfully?

Great question! As an engineer, I love figuring out the most efficient way to solve a problem. When I worked as a construction manager, a big part of my job was finding a way to get the project done in the most efficient, cost-effective, and timely way possible. As I started building my yoga business, as you can imagine, those skills were incredibly useful and helped me scale my business at a very fast pace (without burning myself to the ground). The skills I learned as an engineer are integrated into everything I teach my clients. My goal is to guide my clients to work smarter, not harder as they grow their business. I’m not here to make anyone hustle themselves to death!

You help yoga teachers and healers become clear and confident with pushing their mission. How do you achieve this?

I am passionate about supporting yoga teachers and healers from all angles (not just business strategy!). Without confidence and clarity, teachers and healers can lose steam and burn out of their business journey very quickly. Within my programs, I focus heavily on strategy in conjunction with mindset and accountability (oh, and shoutout to the amazing coaches I have on staff who support my clients deeply from these other angles). I help teachers step into their confidence by recognizing their superpowers and work through self-esteem blocks.

For any aspiring coaches, what advice would you offer to those that are just starting out?

Focus on one audience at a time and dive in headfirst. Most likely, you’re trying to serve multiple communities at once (because you have a big heart and want to help everyone!) but you end up splitting your focus and spiraling into Overwhelm City. Focus on one audience and deeply understand their problems, challenges, and tendencies. Then, go crazy creating valuable content to help them improve their life!

Talk us through an average day in your life…

I try to be really intentional with how I get things done during the day. Typically I wake up between 6:30 and 7:30 and try not to connect to any electronics until I’ve done a movement practice and had my coffee (it’s not perfect every morning but I try). I do my best work in the morning so I’ll usually spend 1-2 hours getting administrative tasks off my to-do list (responding to messages, creating social media content, delegating tasks to my team, etc). Then I take a break to eat breakfast and drink my coffee with whatever book I’m reading at the time. After breakfast, I do what I call “client support” tasks. These include answering any client questions within my programs, creating slide decks for upcoming trainings, and directly reaching out to my clients to see how I can support them. After I check in with my clients I typically have a few more things to wrap up and then I shut off my computer by 4pm (sometimes sooner). I’ll do a 30-60 minute workout and then make dinner and watch a good show!

What does self-care mean to you?

Self-care means tuning in to what I need in the moment on a particular day. It ranges from yoga in the morning to getting a massage to deleting Instagram off my phone for a day. Sometimes it’s screaming into a pillow if I’m being totally honest. I think “self-care” has become a trendy word for bubble baths and face masks when really it looks different for everyone and most likely changes daily. The best thing you can do for yourself is taking the time to understand your own energy and recognize that you’re an ever-changing human that needs something different each moment.

During 2020, what have you learned about yourself that you didn’t already know?

I learned that I am capable of so much more than I ever thought I was. Does that sound cheesy? Oh well. I’ve had one foot in the “business world” for years now but until 2020 came around, I hadn’t truly jumped in with both feet. Once I did, it was a scary, exciting, rewarding, vomit-inducing roller coaster ride that I never could have anticipated. I learned that I have a mental toughness that I had never quite tapped into before and it’s like meeting a part of myself for the first time.

Our readers love to travel, what destination is at the top of your bucket list?

Australia! One of my best friends is moving there this year and, while I am NOT a good flyer, (sorry for anyone who has sat next to me on an airplane) I have always wanted to go. If anyone out there reading has been there, send me some recommendations on places to visit!

Where can people find out more?

The best place to connect with me is on Instagram @meg_sangimino or you can find all of my offerings on my website www.megsangimino.com. Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you!

Susan Hollingsworth’s life has taken her to places most people only dream about. During her years living in Africa, Europe and Central Asia, she was introduced to the cultural practices of fiber art and the techniques employed to turn textile and fiber into visual stories. She has brought to life many ancient cultural art techniques as part of her one-of-a-kind jackets. Every jacket is a work of art, uniquely and meticulously conceived and crafted with the highest quality materials from all over the world.

The name SuKaz, a combination of designer and country, is a mix of various cultures and their histories intertwined with western influences to make the designs modern and relevant to today. Each jacket is conceived from stories written by Susan inspired by her time in different parts of the world. Although it was never Susan’s plan to create clothing while living abroad, her need to immerse herself into these new cultures and become part of them lead to the SuKaz brand.

Creative, inspiring and a force to be reckoned with, we spent some time with Susan to find out more…

Tell us about the journey that led you to launching Sukaz…

I was born and raised in the Southern United States, but my husband’s career led us to live internationally for 20 years. Throughout multiple relocations and work-related travel destinations, the people and places I found the most intriguing were in countries which were by no means typical tourist destinations. I felt an immediate connection to and fascination for the chaos and clamour of the streets and bazaars which, for me, were the essence and spirit of the national cultural heritage. I haunted the bazaars, gathered bits and pieces to take away with me, and eventually reimagined my impressions in the form of jackets.

Where did you first discover your love for fashion design?

To be honest, I really don’t consider myself to be a “Fashion Designer”, rather more of a “Cultural Storyteller”. Any training I’ve had has been hands-on or short-course study targeting particular areas of interest. My latest obsession is bead weaving, which I’m learning for an upcoming project. While in London I studied pattern making and learned to make patterns and garments in quarter scale to fit a doll which we each crafted from wire, fluff and tape during our course. I never set out to be a designer but followed a compulsion to share my take on cultural tradition in the realm of fiber art. Each of my jackets showcases a unique story of cultural art and tradition passed down through generations of families and societies with passion and love.

Travel is a huge part of SuKaz, tell us more about that…

If you are willing to step off the beaten path in an unfamiliar environment your mind will open itself to new perspectives and interpretations. A notion I feel is shared with the likes of Cond é Nast Traveller, which we have been in recently. You have to take a big step outside of your comfort zone to experience travel at its fullest – the more you engage, the greater your rewards. For me, this quest for alternative perspectives is the heart and soul of each SuKaz jacket.

How often do you release new collections?

My collections are more about emotional expression, not something I can sit down and call up in schedule. They are born of inspiration, often random and just as often catch me unawares – sunlight transforming my daily walk into something new, an old song reheard 20 years on, or a surprise call from a friend and artist with a new idea. The creativity in my collections is nurtured by the creativity of others and the world around me when I open my mind and listen.

Talk us through the process when creating a new design…

Chaos …… fabric in piles on the floor for each jacket, my dog, Mischka, rolling and digging through each pile, while I hopscotch over them from one end of the room to the other. But that’s the final stage. The earlier phases are much more civilized and involve discussions – animated would be an understatement – with the individual artists involved about the direction we are going. The end goals for the various artists and their art mediums are established when we first meet – our visions and interpretations of those visions are discussed and established, and sometimes refined after the initial creation. This is true not only for the fiber or metal artist but also the pattern maker and seamstress. Once our processes and parameters are in sync, I am happy for the artist to follow their own creativity and would never dream of interfering with that artistic process.

What has been the biggest learning curve since launching the business?

Probably the biggest curve was realizing that what started as a creative outlet had taken on a life of its own. I never meant to start a business, and had a product before establishing an actual business plan. Building the team to bring all of the moving parts together has been equally challenging — a genuine understanding and belief in the processes key to the creation of every jacket is essential and not something that can be taught. The SuKaz team members are all rockstars!

You have a lot of skills, what is the one thing you do that makes you feel the most alive?

Always and forever the next jacket, collection or project – set it in motion, nurture it through but keep moving forward to the next new thing.

Looking back since launching the brand, is there anything you would do differently?

Every mistake is a learning experience – which ultimately has led me to where I am today. I don’t believe in regrets, you just have to get on with things and move forward and never look back.

How do you want people to feel when they wear your designs?

A difficult question and probably better answered by anyone but me. I compare them to jelly beans – I always want the red ones, but someone else might go for the green ones. The jackets are very subjective and elicit individual responses and interpretations. They need to be seen and touched – I would invite you to try them yourselves and hear how they make you feel.

Talk us through an average day in your life…

It would surprise me to know that anyone would actually care about my average day! My trip today to my local bead store was very exciting for me, something I’ve looked forward to all week – pretty sure that says it all about the excitement level in my life! In terms of structure, I always start my day with a walk. It is probably the most important part of my day when I have some of my most creative moments. I plan my day, correspond with my team, and work through problems in my head and via internet through my phone – yes, I can walk and write and research all at the same time, and often compose jacket stories as I go. It is a good time to make overseas calls before it becomes too late in later time zones. I go to a Pilates class three times each week which takes care of stretching and socialisation, then head home to work, communicating via phone calls, FaceTime and Zoom. Whatever I’m doing shuts down no later than 7:00 pm for family time, a little conversation and wine, then dinner.

What is your go-to quote when lacking motivation?

“Start off as you mean to go on”

How has Covid-19 impacted your business?

The biggest change has been the restriction on physical movement and socialisation. Before the pandemic I had multiple projects in the works such as fashion shows, exhibits, and interaction with my artisans/seamstresses that all had to be halted. Overall, in a perverse way, the societal restrictions have had a positive effect on our outlook and direction as we have become much more creative in our marketing and utilise technology to collaborate virtually. My jackets are all about creative collaboration and I feel as if we have been able to grow as a team. The lockdown has provided the opportunity to renew relationships with artisans who before the pandemic were engaged in other projects. These renewed relationships are building the foundation for future collections, which is very motivating and energising.

What does self care mean to you?

My daily walk, as I mentioned earlier, is as essential to my mental and creative health as it is to my physical health. I attend Pilates three times a week and find that it clears my head so I can work. I am very zealous about my daily routine and structure and a little grumpy if it is interrupted.

SuKaz is a slow fashion brand, tell us more.

SuKaz has operated as a slow fashion brand from its inception as each of my jackets is created, not manufactured. An individual piece passes through the hands of each artist who contributes to it which adds a new dimension to the design. Each artisan works independently and is always given credit for their work which is central to the heart and soul of SuKaz. I have a core of fabrics that have been totally crafted by hand on manually operated looms not requiring fuel or electricity. I also utilise all of my fabrications and selectively use remnants creatively in future jackets, which prevents waste and adds to the integrity of the piece. Each jacket offers a new challenge and is truly one of a kind wearable art that will never be duplicated. There are no size runs, so once a jacket is sold there will not be another like it. I know that sustainable practices are becoming a new standard in the fashion world, but I have never known any other way of operating.

Where can people find out more?

We welcome any and all enquiries, and our new website will be launching next month: www.sukazjackets.com
Instagram: @sukazjackets_
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SuKazJackets

Pop over and say hi!

Iliyan and Christie are the husband and wife team behind CEVARI, which was created to infuse nature back into your daily skin rituals. The ancient wisdom of plants inspires them greatly and they find great joy and balance through their love of nature which shines through in their brand.

They passionately create clean, ethical, and safe skincare so that you can instantly connect with your truest self through uplifting aromas and powerful botanicals. Their company ethos is one to be admired and their outlook on life is inspiring.

We spent some time with them to find out more…

Tell us about the journey that led you to launching CEVARI NATURALS…

I have always had a passion for nature and working with my hands. I would always enjoy coming up with beauty routines made from fresh materials I had around my home; something I’ve done since I was a teenager, but now in an advanced and professional way. My passion gave me vision towards one day running my own business that incorporated working with nature in some way, which led me to becoming a Certified Organic Skincare Formulator. Skincare has always been an enjoyable part of my day, especially when it’s made with natural elements. It is a daily ritual that allows the practice of slowing down, nourishing the body, and staying deeply connected to the self and nature. The beauty of it is that I now get to help others with their skin while being able to do something I am passionate about each day. I love to create, and I hope that passion can be felt throughout our company and products.

You’re a husband and wife duo, how do you separate your work from home life?

My husband and I have always worked well together as a team, in our personal life and now our professional life. We have a second bedroom in our apartment that serves as our office/studio space. It’s all about switching the mind into work mode. Once we step into our office we stay focused on the work at hand. We have weekly morning meetings, do a lot of brainstorming and planning, and most importantly have fun with the process. We treat our business as a business as we continue to strengthen its foundation and build. I’m blessed to have my best friend by my side helping me with all of life’s challenges as we balance and navigate being business owners.

What has been the biggest learning curve since launching the business?

I’d have to say learning to balance everything and having patience. There were many moments of overwhelm in the beginning because there are so many different areas of responsibility to juggle with a business, especially when we are doing everything ourselves! I’ve started to implement more structure around my tasks which helps me stay focused and have more patience with myself.

Talk us through your role as the formulator…

My favorite part! This is where all the magic happens! Developing a product takes months, there are even a few formulas I’ve been working on for over a year. This is where the creation and experimentation stages happen. When I am developing a product, I see it as a story being written through each ingredient coming together to tell the entire story of the product. Every ingredient is intentional and I do heavy research on each ingredient and how the whole product will come together as a synergistic blend. Many people may not know this, but on our website I have two articles up about the story of our two current products. Our products are more than just a product, they are an entire experience, a story that can be told with deep expression and feeling, inspiring all the senses, mind body and soul through daily use. A story that continues to be written through the experiences of our customers.

Do you have plans to expand your product range in the future, if so, what will you add?

Yes absolutely! I have so many ideas and I’m currently working on many different formulations. I want there to be an entire line that our customers can have a daily routine with. As I mentioned before, developing a product from conception to market takes a ton of time. I’d love to have a new product launched this year, but it’s something I do not want to rush. I can’t reveal what we will be launching with next due to having the element of surprise, but rest assured these formulas are being worked on behind the scenes.

Looking back since launching the brand, is there anything you would do different?

No. I believe everything has worked out the way it should have. We learned a lot of lessons along the way and continue to learn. With that said, as we move forward there are many things I’d like to add and spruce up. Through adapting to the role as a business owner, I’ve realized change and adaptation are elements that need to be implemented regularly, but would I change what we’ve done so far? No. The whole experience is a journey with many nuggets of great lessons.

How much has social media played a role in the success of your brand?

Major. Social media is our main form of marketing and where we cultivate relationships with our customers. I have met some incredible people through these platforms who vibe with our brand’s values. We’re building the CEVARI tribe one day at a time.

What is your go-to quote when lacking motivation?

I love this question, I’m such a quote nerd! When I very first started learning how to formulate I hung a quote on my wall which is still my go-to quote along this journey:

I also love the fable of the tortoise and the hare and will often say to myself on a stressful day, “Slow and steady wins the race.”

How has Covid19 impacted your business?

We launched our business during the pandemic, so there is no other time in our business that we can compare this experience to. It became our normal and we are grateful each day we were able to launch in 2020. It certainly taught us that we can push ourselves far through a challenge.

How do you want people to feel when they use your products?

Nourished and loved, connected deeply to their intuition, beauty, purpose, and awed by the power of nature. Excited for their daily self-care rituals as they create a sacred space to care for their skin and their soul. I want them to know that they deserve these special moments to reconnect and be inspired by their unique expression here in life.

What does self care mean to you?

This is one of the core values we hold, so it has a very significant meaning to us. Self-care can be many things, but I think it is first and foremost being very self-aware and in-tune with yourself. Only you truly know what you need in any given time of life. That may look like creating a spa-like ritual for yourself, getting away on a weekend adventure, having a good cry, exploring a forest, or setting boundaries. The action of self-care always depends on a deep inner understanding of what you truly need, and relies on intuition and inner-knowing, the origin for everything within. My definition of this is also tied into the slogan of our brand: Intuition, Beauty, Purpose. When you stay deeply connected to your intuition, you understand the immense beauty you have and find purpose in each day. It is a part of conscious living and our relation to the self and everything around us. So, in short, know yourself, love yourself, and don’t be afraid to take care of yourself.

Where can people find out more?

We are based in Charlotte, North Carolina USA. You can find us by visiting our website at www.cevarinaturals.com to learn more about our products and our environmental impact. Also follow us on Instagram: @cevarinaturals YouTube: CEVARI NATURALS Facebook: CEVARI NATURALS Pinterest: @cevarinaturals.

Kamala Leslie is a power house who believes that it’s a woman’s birthright to feel radiant, sensually alive, and in love with the body she’s in and to feel completely safe and free to have the fulfilling sexual experiences she deeply craves.

If you are a woman who knows there is more to your experience of being a sexual being in a female body on this planet, Kamala is the woman you need to know. Kamala is not only confident but she can teach you to create trustable safety in your body so you can enjoy more and more exquisite turn on and pleasure, and well, we all need a little bit more of that.

We spent some time with Kamala to find out more…

Tell us the journey that lead you to becoming a holistic sexuality coach/teacher

There are so many pieces to my story + I plan to write a book! But, when I first became a health coach in 2012, I had already been exploring my own sexual healing for quite some time, since my early 20s really.

What I found when I started a new business as a health coach, was that while I found diet and lifestyle to be SO important to our thriving as women, I wanted to provide transformation on a different level.

When I would go within, what I found was that my adult life journey was profoundly connected to the awakening and healing and reclaiming of this part of myself~ my body and sex as sacred AND as something that I get to enjoy.

I found that the more I healed my sexual wounding and fears, both inside of relationship and out, that I was more empowered in my life overall. My intuition was clearer + I acted on it way more.

I ended unhealthy relating patterns with men.

I felt more confident and took more risks.

I saw my own beauty both inside and out in a new light ~ like this undeniable magnetism from within had woken up.

I felt things more deeply as I wasn’t numbing out from fear of feeling….

It is as if loving our sexuality and letting ourselves feel good IS a gateway to our destiny and a life fulfilled.

I also realized that I really have a gift in talking about sexuality with others. I’ve often been the one to say the thing in the room that people are thinking and no one wants to say.

An openness, an invitation to share more freely about what are deemed “taboo” topics.

I felt a strong inner calling to honor this gift~ this sort of unrelenting inner nudge that said, “hey this is really important and the way a woman feels when she’s been violated or shut down or taught to criticize herself and doubt herself relentlessly… this needs to change!” (and a secondary agenda to end bad sex on the planet!)

It is even known in the world of traditional psychotherapy that most therapists don’t know how to broach the topic of sex with their clients! So when this extensive training I did showed up in 2017, it was the missing link to give me the missing structure I needed to step more fully and consistently into offering this work to women, to pull together the pieces of many years of study, practice, and experience.

You believe that it’s every woman’s birth right to feel radiant and sensually alive. Why is this important to you?

My experience is when a woman is tapped into her life force, her shameless pleasure, and core vitality, she is a force of generous creative power and transformative beauty.

There has, until more recently, been next to no real or quality research on female sexuality, the orgasmic magic our bodies are capable of, our desire and thus fulfillment in life. What that actually says is: it doesn’t matter, “she” doesn’t matter.

Women have been led to believe that what they see on the menu of life ~ who they can be, what they can express (according to society, religion, etc) is all that’s available to them.

I think this is the reason that so many women don’t feel connected to their desire.

Really, we just need an expanded menu. I help women expand their menu.

Historically, and speaking in general terms in patriarchal cultures, women have been treated by men as a whole, as if they exist simply for what they can give a man: children, household labor, and maintaining his own sense of gratification and power as the one in control.

In agricultural societies and with the advent of the plough, the concept of property was born.

At that time, women, too, came to be treated as property. Women were seen for how they could add value to a man’s life through marriage … (as property!)

So, in a sense, women existed only for men and our value came through *their* eyes, their desire, and their assignment of our worth.

In modern times, I’ll assert that a Western woman most importantly ought to have free choice over the path she chooses (whether it be a domestic calling or something else). AND, I believe all of this subjugation of the female body, of suppressing feminine power, of shaming her sexuality and controlling or ignoring her sexual pleasure (in part by feeding us the lie that women don’t have as much sexual desire as men!!) has come at a great price to the mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional health of women, and the health of the planet overall.

It is literally like keeping a woman cut off from her internal creative power source. Our vaginas, when in orgasmic pleasure, literally connect to centers of our brain that turn on creative brilliance, mystical states of consciousness, and JOY.

So when a woman is given the sovereignty, support, and holistic education, to tap into what makes her feel most alive, her own value system, her intrinsic worth and self-approval through her own eyes~ and the freedom to be, do, and have this…..THIS is a lit up woman….

This is a woman who has influence, a voice, a woman who gets to thrive inside her own body, her desire, her lust, her wildness, her love… and in her own life…. Free to pursue the dreams her female ancestors might never have had a chance to… I feel this is so huge! This can LOOK so many ways for any given woman, but what’s happening inside of her is what is KEY.

Women living this way, sourced from their beauty and core, is, I believe what will heal our planet in these stressful, chaotic times. Our bodies carry so much wisdom…our joy heals.. Our wildness liberates…. The times of subjugating women’s brilliance, sexuality, and power MUST come to an end! So this is why I believe it is her, our, birthright to live from this place inside of ourselves.

Who we are is so much more than how we can be a supporting role to someone else’s narrative.

How did you overcome the shame you had around your own personal sexual pleasure?

I’ve had a continuous journey of profound healing + awakening. It really started in my college years when I realized how cut off I was from my body and my sexuality.

I was numb and depressed and literally felt my sex and my body didn’t belong to me.

When I got into yoga and African dance, something started to wake up because I HAD to be in my body to do those things with any skill, and even though facing some of the numbed feelings was really hard at times, it was like a fire of feminine-knowing got lit inside of me…. I felt myself at my core.

My healing of my shame around sexuality and pleasure was intimately tied in to my connection to a higher power or source. So I kept following my knowing towards teachers, positive communities, and sexuality courses/trainings and trusting in my own lived experience to overcome feeling incredibly anxious and disconnected to feeling so comfortably connected, at ease, and powerful inside my own pleasure and body.

This awareness is paramount because our planet has so much fear of a feminine power and pleasure and the criticisms can, will, and do come.

You’ve been in this industry for many years, have you seen things change in that time? If so, how?

Yes, we are in a time where sexual wellness is a burgeoning new industry *and* there is a lot of pussy power content out in the media. Social media has of course changed a lot so there is so much content viewable and accessible.

Simultaneously, the social media platforms enact A LOT of censorship in this field so it is more and more (and more!) difficult to create visibility through the paid advertising mediums on these platforms, which is tricky business-wise.

There is such a massive NEED for holistic education around sexuality, pleasure, and body love on our planet so I see this growth to be very positive. I am also seeing many more educators who are BIPOC and serving BIPOC and this is so so needed so that the female sex coaching space doesn’t end up looking like the white yoga girl movement on IG and excluding large parts of the population.

However, some of the ways that pussy power gets hyped and the ways the jade egg entered the mainstream media can be problematic.

It can end up seeming like a trend, and like another way we must be or feel with a certain image or lifestyle attached, which creates new pressure on women.

Female sexuality and pleasure can once again become this consumable “product” that comes and goes in the marketplace and is still considered frivolous and unimportant. IN that way, true healing and empowerment isn’t actually happening because the systems within and without have not changed.

But with any change, there will always be the pros and cons. I am a stand for safe, non-discriminatory sex-positive pleasure based education + healing to become more widely accepted and I do trust that any potential client or student will know how to sort through the fluff and find the quality, trustable teachers and programs.

Talk us through an average day in your life…

As a highly sensitive and empathic woman, my pleasure embodiment rituals (which can be quite mystical and magical) *really* keep me connected to my inner pulse in these crazy times!

What journey do you take your clients on and how do you want them to feel at the end?

Each woman’s journey will, of course, be unique and one of the trademarks of how I work is really getting each woman to honor + celebrate her uniqueness.

So many women have come to me with some version of body shame, feeling defective, or broken, or locked up around more powerful, free embodied self-expression sexually or sensually… and so bringing her into a place where she powerfully rediscovers her trust and love in herself, connected to her essence and inner power is always a part of it. Helping her to feel good in her own skin.

In our culture, the attention we are often taught as women to give ourselves is negative: self criticism, self doubt, self consciousness, comparison, and editing/censoring ourselves. I teach women how to put the right kind of attention on themselves in a way that heals, awakens, and FREES them. This shift is huge + key.

Both my 1:1 coaching + my Jade Queen jade egg course take women on a beautiful journey where we assess where she is now, and what she most deeply desires to be experiencing. We get very present with what she is actually experiencing in her body around these things~ we do clearing around shame, old relationship hurts, old belief systems, and literally clear these from the body.

I guide women through powerfully expressing emotion in a somatic way~ rage, grief, longing, and there is a way that this activates so much self connection and is revitalizing.

She learns to stay connected to herself, her body, and her feelings regardless of what is going on. To listen to her inner signals, to break free from people-pleasing patterns and to take exciting risks in the direction of her desires, be they intimate or out in the world.

Then there is always a part of the journey towards the end around expansion… around her learning to trust pleasure in her body…. Around learning to trust her own surrender into these ecstatic feelings of love and sensual bliss…..

This journey will unfold in its own way for each woman, but that is often the trajectory it takes.

AND, the literal act of guiding a woman with her breath, her attention, her touch, her gaze, her LOVE into her pu$$y IS in itself profound for so many women.

At the end, I guide a woman to feel this inner trust, this inner agency, and ability to hold herself, to recognize the hooks of self criticism, fear, of cultural ways that make her feel less-than or ashamed, and I teach her to keep loving herself back to trusting her desires and turn-on and her sovereign power…..

I guide her to become full of herself (literally!)…. of her own essence + creative power as a beautiful force of nature that she can empower to boldly lead her in her life, both in the bedroom, and out. And of course, I want her to LOVE her pussy

Since launching your business, what has been your proudest moment?

Any time I get to hear a direct story from a client about her self-reclamation, using her voice where she hadn’t before, her falling in love with herself and not hiding her desire, a vulnerable risk she took that she finally felt the courage to take… her creative or business breakthroughs, I am SO moved.

I’ve had women have very profound ecstatic awakenings through our work that literally is like them coming home to themselves and to their sacred place of belonging on this planet and that brings me tears of joy.

Looking back since you started, is there anything that you would do differently?

If I were to do anything differently, it would of course be to dive into sticking with teaching this work much sooner! I started moon yoga classes for women only in my mid-20s then lost touch with it when I started studying with a male teacher. I wouldn’t have abdicated the inner knowing I already had at age 25 to him, but in the end, I am still here with all my wisdom and passion, and my work is being offered to those who really need it!

What does self care mean to you?

I really think of self care at a couple of different levels. There is, of course, the more obvious level that so many of us women are familiar with now: quality rest, eating well but enjoying a favorite treat, spa-days, luxury vacation, yoga retreats. Treating ourselves well, really in a way that refills our tank and helps us relax.

(I would include my simple daily self pleasure practices in this~ though depending on where a woman is at in her sexuality journey, the practices inside a coaching container with specific intentions may work on the other two levels.)

Then the next level is the self care that inner work asks us to do: letting go of that relationship that is draining us, asking a boss for a raise, surrounding ourselves with people that make us feel good + support our dreams in life, cutting out that habit that’s starting to tax our mental state, building up better saving or investment habits…

And the deepest level, I believe, is the self care that is making larger investments in our thriving in life. Be that hiring a coach in a variety of areas such as sexuality or relationships (such as myself), investing in training or education to achieve a career dream, making a significant and risky life change… the things that feed our inner worth + calling are also self-care because these are high return investments on being fulfilled on the deepest levels.

So really, on any level, self-care can be anything from the simple nourishing acts to the more significant choices we make to care for ourselves in ways that allow us to feed our vitality and to be fulfilled, connected, and thriving. I believe for women, self-care also includes doing things in a way that support our bodies, feeling nourished, supported, and loved.

How has your business flowed during the pandemic and have you had to make any pivots?

I really miss in person networking as I am a people person and natural connector, and I would previously host in-person events for women.

So, I’ve been more focused on building up online courses + playing with my social media presence to expand my global reach. And, in 2021, my podcast Sex & Psyche will be released into the world!

Where can people find out more?

My IG will always have free content and links:

@pusssymystic

And to get a freebie, to learn about my work, and be alerted when my upcoming 7 week Jade Queen : Awakening Your Feminine Majesty jade egg group program is released, go to kamalaleslie.com

Taylor Victoria went from party girl to all round badass business babe! Founder of Solopreneur to Ceo, Taylor has created her dream lifestyle. She believes that anyone can live a life of their dreams and she is there to help you see that anything is possible for you.

Taylor worked on her mindset and created a vision that is now her reality and the best bit? She’s just getting started! We spent some time with her to find out more…

Tell us about the journey that lead you to launching Solopreneur to CEO…

Less than three years ago, I was a MASSIVE party girl. Would go out and get drunk every weekend because I felt like I had nothing better to do. I felt lost, bored with my life, and like I was destined to make someone else’s dreams come true working a 9-5.

One day I decided something had to change and took MASSIVE action toward creating a business that would give me the freedom I craved! I worked tirelessly to build an online business that would allow me to work overseas and in 2019 I moved to Bali while I was only earning $600 AUD per month. I just had this sort of blind faith that everything would work out, no matter what, because I was so determined!

Fast forward to 2020, and I’ve just sold my part of a 6-figure digital marketing agency, that I built with my business partner. We worked with luxury brands to help them create content and get more leads and built a dream team of 8 people to support us! ?? I also still currently run a Virtual Assistant agency called Outsource Monkey that I co-founded in October 2020 with my boyfriend. (outsourcemonkey.com.au)

But what I am MOST passionate about is my coaching business and help other women create the freedom lifestyle I have! I help solopreneurs to ditch the overwhelm, step into their role as CEO +scale their businesses using systems, strategy and mindset!

I’m also a world traveler, having travelled to over 28 countries in my life. When Covid isn’t wreaking havoc through the world, I live in the tropical paradise of Bali, surrounded by beaches, rice fields, and cute co-working cafes. Living this lifestyle lights my soul on fire so it’s my mission to help other female entrepreneurs achieve that same freedom!

I am an all or nothing type of girl, so you better bet that we are going ALL IN with scaling my clients businesses and creating the freedom lifestyle they desire!!!

What has been the biggest learning curve since launching the business?

For me, it has been figuring out how to get out of this ‘employee mindset’ that we are trained to have since we are children. We get stuck doing things like:

  • Waiting for permission and directions as to what we need to do.
  • Trade time for money
  • Aim for a promotion in the company
  • Expect our bosses to fix all the problems
  • Focus on money and our position/title
  • Fearing risky situations instead of seeing them as an opportunity to grow

But when you start to run a company, you need to do the complete opposite of that, which took me a very long time to learn! You really need to step into the role of ‘CEO’ of your business and do things like:

  • dreaming, designing, launching and managing a new business.
  • Having vision and leadership skills to transform a business idea into something tangible.
  • Start without thinking and are not scared of risks
  • Create opportunities for ourselves to scale our businesses and income without trading time for money.
  • Learn how to be fantastic at delegating, team building and outsourcing to specialists
    Learn how to stick to their area of genius.
  • Take responsibility for all the problems + always find solutions
  • Live outside of your comfort zone’s
  • Not afraid to fail- see it as learning
  • Focus on Time, money and significance
  • Learn to be the visionary of the company!

Obviously these 2 state of minds are SUPER different from each other and it took me a long time to learn that!

Your design is really creative, who’s your ideal customer?

Female solopreneurs aged 25-35…

Here is where you are at in your businesses if you are my ideal client:

  • You’ve got your first few clients locked in and are making $2-$4k per month
  • You know who your target market is and what services to offer
  • You don’t just want to rake in the moolah. You want to do it your way #noapologies
  • You don’t just want to get by in your online business.
  • You want to soar
  • And you sure as day follows night don’t want to figure it all out on your own.
  • You want to do it faster than just about any girl on the block (Honestly, who has the time?)

Do you plan on expanding the program in the future?

Yes, ideally I would love to build it up so that we can serve hundreds of female entrepreneurs in every round of the program. I envision having co-coaches to help me support them all in creating their dream freedom businesses!

Looking back since launching the brand, is there anything you would do different?

Nope!

Talk us through an average day in your life…

Wake up, go to the gym (I do Hiit style work outs), come home, shower, listen to 20 mins of a podcast or audio book, meditate, practice my EFT tapping ritual, map out my day and what I want to work on. Usually this will involve:

– checking in with my team first thing (I have 5 people working on my team for Soloprenuer to CEO and in Outsource Monkey we already have 9 virtual assistants working with us, so there are a lot of people to check up on haha!

– checking in with clients

– replying to DM’s from leads

– then usually in the first half of the day, I focus working ‘on’ my business… think high level planning, setting up systems, hiring new team members, checking in on my marketing analytics

– next I will do any content creation that is required from me- podcast episodes, reels etc

– the afternoon is reserved for calls- with both coaching clients and prospects

– once I finish working for the day, I will usually go for an afternoon walk or to play oz tag (think along the lines of touch football)

– After dinner we will watch a bit of netflix before bed

How much has social media played a role in the success of your brand?

– HUGE! I wouldn’t have a business if it wasn’t for social media!

What is your go-to quote when lacking motivation?

Haha it sounds savage but its ‘Just be better!’’. My friend Anndrea first said it to me when I was in bali and I thought it was harsh but then when I really thought about it, there is no simpler thing to do… Just be better and then you won’t be unmotivated or feel lazy or frustrated or whatever you are feeling! It’s so simple and I love it haha!

How has Covid19 impacted your business?

I am one of the fortunate people that was not at all affected by COVID in terms of business.

What does self care mean to you?

Practicing my morning routine, taking time for myself every week to do something fun like ecstatic dance or oz tag, meditating at least 5 times per week, checking in on my energy every day to see how I am feeling and what my heart needs from my head right now. I am SUCH a huge preacher of self care, I will always put that above business which some people think is crazy but I would rather enjoy the journey of getting to my business goals (even if it takes longer to get there), than get there slightly faster and hate my life while I was getting there.

Where can people find out more?

Insta: @taylor.victoriaa

Webpage: https://www.taylorvictoria.com.au/solopreneurtoceo

Freebie: ”Top 4 Systems to Scale your Biz in 2 Hrs or Less’’ https://www.taylorvictoria.com.au/systemstoscale

Kate Wolf helps help brilliantly sensitive women entrepreneurs to turn down the voice of What Other People Think and turn up the voice on the wise, wild voice of your intuition (your inner-GPS to Wild Success) so you can build a purpose-full, profitable business.

During her career in the world of theatre, Kate discovered that the most healing thing in the world was expressing yourself freely. Here at House of Coco we believe that life is best lived as your true, authentic self, so when we stumbled across Kate, we had to find out more…

Tell us the journey that led you to launching your coaching business, Kate Wolf…

For many years I walked a two-fold path. On the one hand I was immersed in the world of theatre – writing, directing, performing and teaching. I wrote three plays and brought them through to production. I taught the curriculum through dance, drama and music in schools all over London. I received 5stars in the Guardian for a play we brought to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (thanks Louis de Bernieres). I was the Artistic Director of a theatre company for children with special needs. And at the same time I was immersed in the world of healing – studying and training in all the weird and wonderful styles of alternative healing I could find – if it’s a bit weird, I’ve tried it I qualified as a yoga teacher with Yogaworks in 2012 and started working as a yoga teacher and energy healer, running my first retreat in Gascony, France and seeing private clients for a gorgeous mix of yoga and intuitive healing.

Probably unsurprisingly – I was tired. Really, really tired. I loved each piece of work I was doing but was scattering my energy and not earning much in return – and everything I was earning was going on new yoga gear, props for the theatre company or crystals that promised clarity and success

The wonderful thing about being so fully immersed in these two worlds simultaneously was that I had a unique perspective. I began to see, feel and experience that the most healing thing in the world was simply expressing yourself. It was so free-ing. And being received in that full self-expression – not judged, not defined, just received as we are- is the most healing thing in the world. I also noticed that all these wonderful healers that I was meeting were not skilled in the area of communicating the value of what they did.

So I decided to stop scattering my energies and instead bring them together into one business. Where communication and healing meet – and where healers get to learn to communicate! And so the Wild Voices work was born. And over time that grew and developed into StorySchool, which I now run for groups and also on private VIP days. I also created a course called Share the Magic Inside, which teaches multi-passionate people how to bring their gifts together into one course or offering that really serves their ideal client.

You write about the the cultural obsession with What Other People Think because you want to be free to create a life and business in alignment with my own inner values. Why is this important to you?

Over the past 6 years (it’s my business birthday on November 30th!) one of the biggest challenges I’ve both experienced myself and witnessed again and again in my clients is the fear of What Other People Think. It’s such a stumbling block to living the life we actually want – again and again I would hear amazing, wonderful people telling me of their dreams and desires and then following it up with some sort of concern about how that might be viewed by someone else. It dawned on me that we’re ALL doing this! And what if the problem isn’t the individual and some deep core wound that needs healing – what if the problem is the societal construct that says that perfection looks a certain way, that there’s a certain way to do things, that you don’t belong if you don’t fit in? I find that by naming it in this way, clients shift a lot faster – they realise that they have a choice as to how much emphasis they put on the imaginary opinions of other people. This is why I love group work and storytelling so much – when you hear another person sharing their humanity and their fears and perceived failings, you get to feel less alone. You get to feel ‘oh, it’s not just me. This is a human thing. This is a cultural thing. I’m not broken’ – and then you get to choose how you move forward in this world, seeing more clearly the reasons why it’s sometimes hard to share who you really are, and choosing each time to do it anyway.

Who’s your ideal client and how do you want them to feel after having sessions with you?

My ideal clients are highly sensitive people who know that there is bigger, deeper work for them to do at this time. I help them let go of the fear of WOPT so they can show up as the magical being they are and do their real work. What I hear from my clients is that I provide them with a space where they feel safe to say what they need to say, knowing that they won’t be judged or defined by it, and that makes them feel more courageous to go out in the world and show up as who they really are – and receive beautiful bountiful money for gifts that come naturally to them.

Looking back since you started running your own business, is there anything you would do differently?

If I had my time all over again, I would find a way to leave my younger self a note saying ‘just trust yourself’. I spent a lot of time looking outside of myself for the answers. And A LOT of time alone with my notebook. Turns out, those notebooks are full of gold! But I didn’t action the insights that came through at the time because I didn’t yet trust myself and I assumed there were people with more business understanding than me. The thing about business knowledge is that it’s only useful if it’s useful. There are a hundred and one ways to do things, and the only way that’s correct for you is the way that’s correct for you – and how can anyone else know that?!

Underneath everything I do is the premise that you know best. You know what you want. You know what will bring you joy and what will drain you. You know the right next action to take. All that’s needed is to trust yourself and give yourself permission to want what you want.

As it turns out, I have a fantastic instinct for business. I know what will work and what won’t. I feel it in my body. I see what’s possible for you, I feel what’s in the way and I hear your Purpose. Those aren’t just words – that’s exactly how I experience it. As a highly sensitive person those kind of clairvoyant, clairsentient and clairauditory abilities are right at the fore-front of my experience of life. In fact it took a while to realise that’s not how everyone experiences the world! (although I do believe that we all have those abilities).

So the one thing I would do is trust myself earlier. However – I really value all those years of frustration because they have taught me such patience and resilience, and they allow me to be with another in their frustration and doubt. So you know I’m not sure I would change it, because having lived it means I know the path and the pitfalls, and I know how to help another navigate it. And that’s truly valuable.

What has 2020 taught you about yourself?

2020 has taught me so much and I’ll be forever grateful. Obviously it’s been a hugely challenging and difficult year for so many and my heart hurts for that. But if I can separate that out (as we must be able to otherwise we could never be happy right?) personally it’s been a really strange but good year.

I caught the corona virus at the very beginning of lockdown and was very ill with it. I was on the sofa for 5 nights struggling to breathe, and then in bed for 5 weeks recovering. But something happens to you when you’re on your own and critically ill for so long. I had a moment where I quite literally couldn’t catch a breath and I thought, ‘OK, this might be it. If I go now, I’m really proud of my life. I’ve lived well. I’ve expressed who I really am’… I felt at peace.

And after coming through that critical moment I felt a renewed sense of freedom and commitment to live my Purpose in an even bigger way. Because I get to be here! So why would I not play full out?! And that intention is obviously rippling out because I’m receiving more invitations than ever to share my voice, be interviewed, share my wisdom with other people’s communities, etc.

And then having so many weeks with zero energy meant that health and vitality shot to the top of my values. And since then I’ve been making different decisions in my business – things that I might have tried to do all at once I’m now spacing out. Plans that I might have given a year I’m now giving three. Because feeling healthy and vital and joyful while I do it is now more important to me than ever.

2020 has also taught me how much I love being by myself. Yes I sometimes get stir crazy and there were a few moments when I was ill and alone when I felt very sorry for myself, but the highs have definitely outshone the lows. I’ve also been enjoying experimenting with how to create nourishing connections online. Because you can meet online and experience zero connection and nourishment, but then again that can happen in person too. And then you can meet online and feel really nourished and filled up with all the good stuff. So I’ve been paying even more attention to what makes the difference and how to make sure my clients feel nourished – and how they can offer that to their clients too. In fact one client just reached out to me asking for a one-to-one session to teach her how to hold circles online, so that may well turn into an offering down the line if more people are interested.

What does self care mean to you?

I believe that the greatest form of self-care is self-expression. Owning up to ourselves. Owning what we want. Embracing who we are. Sharing that with another. Knowing that nothing about who we are is wrong. A list of self-care actions to do each day is only self-caring if it feels good. Otherwise, throw that list away and start listening to your body and your heart.

You believe that the greatest self care is self expression. How do you stay true to this?

I say the scary thing. As soon as possible. I have the difficult conversation. I open the space to meet things front on, with love. It’s not always easy but I have found over the years that the fear and apprehension before is always the worst part! We’re very good – especially those of us who are wildly creative – at making up stories in our heads. And often the reality is far more boring So I highly recommend saying whatever it is you need to say out loud. And using that vivid imagination to craft wonderful stories that reveal who you really are and grow your purpose-led business.

The power of saying the scary thing is true for both personal and business life. One of the biggest problems I see in the coaching world is a massive co-dependence habit between coaches and their clients. If we need our clients to like us and we’re not willing to say something that might make them feel uncomfortable, we’re not really serving them. Almost every private coaching client I’ve had the honour of working with has said that the reason they chose to work with me is because I saw and spoke to a pattern in their behaviour that was getting in the way of what they said they wanted. That’s our job as coaches. To help our client find a shift in perspective that shifts how they then show up in the world, so they get more of what they want and less of what they don’t. Obviously only if there’s an opening and permission from the client or potential client – otherwise we’re stepping over a boundary.

The other side of the coin of course is knowing when not to speak. That’s self-expression too. We don’t have to explain everything to everyone. And especially as business owners, and especially as highly sensitive business owners, boundaries are paramount. Sometimes a short, clear email is much more effective and powerful than a lengthy ‘honest’ conversation. Like everything, it depends, and like always, only you know.

Our readers love to travel, what destination is at the top of your bucket list?

I am currently dreaming of Kauai! It’s calling. And the West coast of Ireland – the wild Atlantic Way. I mean even that name is magical and mystical right? I have Irish ancestors on both sides and I’ve never been to Ireland – I have a sense that when I finally get there it will be an important experience. But essentially put me anywhere near the sea and I’m ridiculously happy.

Where can people find out more?

Come join my highly sensitive wildly successful community at www.katewolf.global/community or find us on facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/highlysensitivewildlysuccessful If you know that fear gets in the way of you showing up, I made this for you! https://katewolf.global/move-through-fear

Malina Catoiu is the brains behind Ralu Fine Art, a brand that was never a surprise because she always had a love and passion for art since her younger years.

Creative, formidable and a complete boss when it comes to chasing her dreams, Malina is a force to be reckoned with. We spent some time getting inspired by her and here’s what she had to say…

Tell us the journey that lead you to launching your brand, Ralu Fine Art…

The name of this shop comes from my first name Raluca. Until I left my country of origin (Romania) only my family called me Ralu so it is bringing history and present together.

Let’s imagine we toss a coin, on one side is the truth and the other side is the dare.

The truth about me: since childhood I had a passion for music and the field of art. I still have three big passions: playing my piano to enchant my friends and family, photography brought to light to the delight of your eyes and travelling. Contrary to my artist soul, I have chosen a career in banking for more than 25 years. In 2012 I bought my first DSLR camera mainly due to my curiosity and passion for photography. Since then I make art through my lenses as I am longing for beauty. I love to capture moments that become memories in a form of foggy mornings, crispy autumn, falling leaves, season changes, nature beauty, street impressions.

The dare part: I believe in trusting my gut as it is always right. I believe in making my dreams a reality and consistently pursue my life dreams. Since I was 24 y.o. I wanted to have my own company. When the first bank I worked for went to bankruptcy I wanted to create my own company with intermediary role import and export of merchandise. At that time I was working a lot with retail and wholesale clients and such transactions. Other offers came from banking system and I decided at that time to pursue with my banking career. But you see all this time it was something that played in my head to create my own business. In 2018 I felt is the time for me to play with my ideas and make my dreams become reality. I’ve always admired my grandma who almost all her life loved to create clothes and designed new models. I looked at her many years how many beautiful things came out of her creative mind and hands: exquisite wedding dresses, luxury costumes, classy dresses, purses, blouses and so on. I wanted to bring the history and present together and inspired by my grandma work to continue with my own story in my own style. It took me several months to brainstorm together with my husband and launch my shop in June 2019. However only from October 2019 I started to be fully engaged and take it in my hands as full time activity.

What is Ralu FineArt about? The shop idea was born from the desire to bring our planet beauty home and make our inner world inspiring in my own way and style.

During my trips I realized how beautiful our planet is and also how fragile and in great danger. So I decided that through my brand to commit to raising awareness about the endangered species and deforestation. A percentage of the sales will go as donations to different organizations to contribute to planting trees, save endangered species and other actions trying to make our world better. All my projects are shared on my blog.

You live your life following your gut, how did that served you during 2020?

During all my life I learnt that following my gut is the best thing to do when I have a big decision to make or if I’m in two minds. Call it gut or instinct, but is that moment you have that subtle sense of knowing what to do. And you cannot explain it, is not logic, is not reason, is not feeling. It involves all my senses.

I learnt to listen to my inner voice when is talking to me and improve my ability to tune with my intuition and shut down the noise around. The most important decision that I took during the last years was to shift from my full time job in banking who didn’t make me happy at that time to completely hands on my own business in a complete different industry. All I did was to align my mind with my heart and resonate with my gut and bring back the person I was in the past in my life. That brought back the passion and a big inner force.

Following my gut it meant to focus more on what made me happy and stay out of toxic situations. You know many people overvalue what they are NOT and undervalue what they really are. Following my gut made me to embrace completely my own values, my talents and my strength and once I connected that with my mind and my heart I was fully aligned with what I wanted to do. Creativity started to flow, ideas came out from nowhere. And my passion met my courage to make my dream a reality. When no one believed in me I kept going trusting my gut.

How it served me in 2020? Well, leading with my gut and following the data. I measured constantly my progress and benchmarked it to the day zero. I re-defined what success means for me and my business for this year. Before the pandemic I focused more on Europe audience being based in Luxembourg. Once pandemic came in waves gradually capturing country by country I sensed that I have to shift my marketing campaigns to other markets like US and Canada.

I’ve put down the need for things to happen fast and learnt to wait for the right moment. I believe success comes based on all those small steps done in a consistent manner. Definitely 2020 was a difficult year for all of us and how my gut helped me was to be intentional with everything I do, protect my energy, trust myself, setting realistic goals, invest in my knowledge and ramp up my resilience.

How do you want people to feel when they buy from your store?

I believe any creator, any designer leaves a part of his soul in his creations. There is so much beauty around us in the world and the shop idea was born from the desire to bring our planet beauty in our homes and make our inner world inspiring.

When designing my products I transform the beauty found into our world into unique products for the home décor for example such as blankets, throw pillows, duvet covers, shower curtains, wall art. Is like walking into a home and imagine each room how it would look like when bringing a piece of our beautiful world into our inner space.

My goal is to inspire those who see my work, make them to see new places, discover the beauty of this world and also to want to preserve it. And through my products I got a chance to make my customers feel inspired and bring this beauty and positive energy into their lives.

An example: one client of mine who bought a shower curtain told me that he was moving from the countryside into the town and he was searching those home décor accessories to bring the nature into his home to remind him of his previous place. He was happy to find my shower curtain that pulls greenery and water and rocks into a single print and he was exactly looking for such a thing. They have added ivy garland around the top, woven around the shower hooks and river bathmats to make a perfect fit into their bathroom décor.

Another example is one of my blankets ‘Empty Streets’ an urban pattern with neutral soft colors that can be nicely combined with different interior styles such as classic, traditional, modern or industrial. I’ve chosen to talk about this blanket as I find that it fits so much with the times we are living right now: the pandemic, full and partial lockdown. It makes me think of what Mehmet Murat Ildan said once: ‘Silence is the beauty of the empty streets; laughter is the beauty of the crowded streets! There is beauty both in emptiness and in fullness; there is beauty both in absence and in presence!’

I personally miss travelling and each time I take out the blanket and snuggle around the fire I remember about this incredible medieval and surreal place called Colmar in France. Plus I love to see how old and new comes beautifully together refreshing a modern antique piece of furniture with ‘Empty Streets’ blanket. A room does not need to look brand new or from the same period or era. You can bring old and new together and mix beautifully the styles.

When comes about fashion accessories and I refer here to my scarves collection, I prefer a mix of classic and modern; for me a scarf is special, a timeless accessory, a symbol of femininity and sophistication. I believe that when we feel beautiful the whole world around us changes.

The scarves’ collection is made based on nature and urban patterns, each season bringing an opportunity for inspiration with a fresh perspective. The colors for the Fall are yellow gold, brown bronze and copper. ‘L’été indien’ and ‘Autumn Leaves’ scarves have all colors from the autumn palette to create a rich, warm and earthy feel to it. For the Winter I bring an invigorating and passionate red color with the ‘Whisper of Passion’ scarf replicated from my original photo and designed with the thoughts to celebrate the classic symbol of love and beauty. Nothing says romance louder than red roses. The color is gorgeous and the silk feel amazing. I see the Spring in emerald green and purple to create an exotic, vibrant and incredibly chic look with ‘Garden’s Wonders’ scarf.

I believe in the timeless beauty of nature puts in a different perspective my own designs. Beauty stays in the details and for a touch of flair, I play with color variations and sometimes a dull gray can turn into a surprising yellow gold. Imagination and freedom of creation are my best friends.

When designing my models I transform the beauty found in our world into wearable art and I imagine the woman wearing my scarves to be full of life, have a rich, vivid and warm look. I imagine that woman to wear the world beauty wrapped around her face or shoulders, have that eye-catching look and feel the vibrations of the earth. Buying my products you will enjoy beautiful landscapes, incredible sunsets, fabulous architecture as well details of a flower, a bee or a butterfly. It is not a simple silk scarf but a lifestyle.

The best thing about my products is their vibration and their effect.

How often do you launch new products and what’s the process behind that?

I’d say 2, max 3 times a year. My business turns around a hybrid model which is a mix of made on order and stock in the house and all products are created in limited editions.

Allow me to take as an example my last collection of scarves. I replicate my scarves designs from my original photos by translating the essence of nature and urban impressions into the delightful fashion accessory gifts. Each pattern starts its life as a copy of the original photo that I refine and transform it through the magic of the digital tools to produce a first mock up. First steps in this process are for the design. I select the themes and the range of colors. I put a lot of thought and consideration when creating the drafts and the topics are set on seasons, artistic nature inspired, urban and street style. I use my own photos to create patterns and it takes up to several weeks to work on an initial draft; selecting the perfect one is not always easy.

The inspiration of my urban patterns comes from my travels from the Cycladic layout, the medieval era, Venetian mansions, Neoclassical and modern architecture. While my inspiration of her summer models comes from the seaside showcasing deep blue sea waters, beach features and sea shells.

Once I have the digital patterns done I think of the type of material that best fits to the pattern and model. I prefer to work with natural silk however you may find some items in modal textile too.

For each scarf there is a lot of care and attention given from the start of the design to the finish in production, quality checks are performed along all the process. Creative imagination and designs, skillful hands and craft-work, all these complex processes have to be in harmony to create these wonderful products.

You see in my view, silk scarves are special to me; it is like having a long term relationships with them; they are intemporal, endless accessories and nevertheless special gifts for Christmas or New Year’s Eve.

For the House of Coco readers I’d say if you do not know where to buy a silk scarf, I suggest you to familiarize yourself with small but amazing collection of silk scarves presented in my online store! You will not be disappointed!

Talk us through an average day in your life…

My day starts around 7.30 am from my bed when I connect to the social media and all the platforms I activate on, checking the activity, the feed, taking the pulse of the things, engage with the audience and start wiring up the morning posts. Around 9.30 am I decide to jump into shower, have breakfast put some music and think how I define my day.

Contrary to my life in big corporations, my day as entrepreneur has no fixed schedule during a day and my favorite place to work is cocooning on my sofa with my laptop around. However everything goes according to a plan that I create for each week, each month and each season for my marketing campaigns, for market research, fashion trends, competition, new products design and launches and so on.

Once per day I listen to a podcast of inspirational people from all over the world. Twice per week I learn new things and start to experiment, test to see what I can apply or twist for my own business. I avoid the TV and the noise, it takes from my focus; watching Netflix from time to time to clear up my mind.

Sometimes I wake up during the night because I dreamt about something and an idea came into my mind and I note it down to not forget it. Sometimes I jump into work at 10 pm because in that very precise moment my dose of creativity was released or I jump into a webinar with US or Canada. I let my creativity and my gut to guide me no matter of time of the day or night. In between all these I create my blogs stories, joke with my husband and share with him my ideas, make calls, send emails, packing products and schedule shipping for the orders, wire up my posts on social media along the day, get out and have a short walk in my garden or on the fields to feel connected with the nature, feel the peace and harmony.

Since launching the brand, is there anything you would do differently?

Absolutely! Finding my niche faster, a smaller and more defined niche to start with, building up my audience before launching the shop. While my business is still relatively broadly focused with home décor, lifestyle and fashion accessory products, more than 1000 products in the shop, I am happy where I am today.

The journey took longer to match my products with different segments of the market, seasons and geographical regions. Marketing is the heart for generating the leads for my business and I am still adjusting the way I run my marketing campaigns, I learn everyday new things.

The biggest mistake at the beginning was to hit everyone with my posts and emails. One of the things I learnt the hard way was that is not important the number of followers on the social media but the quality of the audience and their engagement for my posts and products. Having the right audience is one of the keys for success. I am not a market expert but I had to learn what it works and what not in the hard way.

Do one thing at the time! I had and still have many projects running in parallel and it takes time until they take off and reach maturity. It takes time to spin the wheel and figure out what it works; that of course creates additional costs.

As a solopreneur everything ends up on your shoulders and it takes longer to build a business and scale it up. The key is to find something that works for your business and your products and your audience and then to stick with it. Each day to remember what is important to do: things that push forward your business or things that keep you busy.

To date, what has been your proudest moment?

Oh I think there have been several moments along the way equally in importance that made me feel proud. First thing was acquiring my first client and see my creations being appreciated by someone that came to my website and said: ‘WOW, I want to have it. ‘ ..and me saying: Yes I’m in business! If I can do it once I can do it thousands of times.

Seeing that I make a difference in my customer’s life when I get an email from a customer who wants to tell me how much she loves my products or reading their reviews. That means the world to me.

Hitting my first anniversary in business was a big milestone to celebrate.

My products sold in 10 countries all over the world during the first year was another milestone to make me proud and celebrate.

It takes a lot of courage, passion and skills to build a business from scratch, and I think anyone who does this should be proud of their accomplishments along the way. Success in my view comes in small steps. And is important to stop from time to time and look from where you came from. Mistakes are inevitable and they are part of the journey. What is important is to learn from them and make it better next time.

Create something from nothing and trusting myself when others didn’t, getting my brand where it is today, getting positive results out of an idea that one year ago was nothing makes one of the proudest moments of my life.

What did 2020 teach you that no other year has?

That in every crisis there is an opportunity. I launched my scarves collection end November 2019 when I started to work on my business full time. Few months after the pandemic came so I had to re-shape and redirect my marketing campaigns to different countries according to how the people responded to my products. The pandemic hit different countries gradually and people reacted differently. Also I took the decision to launch new products and new scarves in the middle of the pandemic. Someone can say that launching new products in the middle of the pandemic is simply crazy. But I took the risk. There is never a better time for an e-commerce business than now when people change their shopping behaviors getting more online.

I remember a client of mine from Canada was alone in the middle of pandemic and she was feeling like getting crazy. She started to screen the products from my shop and dropped me a message how looking at my products, which patterns are rooted into nature and urban style, made her day better. She ordered one product and then came back and ordered other two products. The fact that through my products I made her feel better, it meant the world to me.

2020 helped me to connect with people all over the world, understand their feelings, their needs, and above all stay positive. People no matter of their location, need to surround themselves with beautiful things especially during these times plus they cannot travel as they did before and through my products I bring a piece of the world into their homes.

This year taught me that by being consistent in my actions I will be able to move the needle step by step. Along this year I shipped my products in 10 countries all over the world: United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, France and Singapore. It is really a pleasure to know that my creations reached and continue to inspire people from so many parts of the world.

Our readers love to travel, what destination is at the top of your bucket list?

Gosh, I love to travel and my list is full of amazing places I want to go and see once this craziness is over. I have 4 places on top of my list: Ireland for the beautiful sunsets, landscapes, seascapes, countryside, music and culture. I visited Dublin before but now the countryside and seaside of this beautiful country are in my focus Canada is on top of my list as well together with Capri Italy and Cyclades Greece. All depends on the season. It will be difficult to choose but together with my husband we will flip the coin and go.

What’s the best advice you have ever received?

Believe in my heart, believe in myself because my voice is important and my dreams matter. My grandma used to tell me: believe in yourself and you will be unstoppable. Never give up! Don’t listen to anyone but to your heart and yourself only. Don’t stop, make baby steps. Believe in yourself no matter what happens along your way.

Another lady who’s words inspired me and I fully embrace her words is Hillary Clinton:

‘Always aim high, work hard, and care deeply about what you believe in. And, when you stumble, keep faith. And, when you’re knocked down, get right back up and never listen to anyone who says you can’t or shouldn’t go on.’

It became my motto. I refuse to listen to anyone who tells me I cannot. With the risk to repeat myself I say that many people overvalue what they are NOT and undervalue what they really are. So I say to the House of Coco readers to: never accept to be bullied into silence, never allow to be manipulated and to be made a victim; to define and re-define yourself continuously as you feel you need. Embrace your value, your talents and your strengths. Put in harmony your heart and mind. Act in harmony with your true self and your heart. Accept who you are completely, make the changes as YOU consider necessary and not because you need to fit in a place or because someone else wants you to be different. Always …always ….believe in yourself. Life is short, make it worth.

Where can we find out more…

www.ralufineart.com @ralufineart on IG, @ralufineart on FB

Blueberry Milk was the unplanned child, a business that was borne after its founder, Sophie, spotted a gap in the market. Quirky, fun and unique, her accessories are designed to make you stand out from the crowd, in a good way.

Sophie is an accessory designer to watch out for. Her goals with the brand are inspiring and her attitude is that of a winner. We spent some time with her to find out more…

You sell earrings, necklaces and hair accessories that are really fun and unique. How often do you add new items to your collection and what’s the process behind it?

Blueberry Milk is the child that wasn’t planned! I have always been interested in fashion but my head has always been stuck in the early 2000’s and with the struggle of finding the accessories I imagined. I started making custom acrylic Jewellery for myself and found compliments coming from people on social media and this made me realise there was a hole that needed to be filled. after talking to my friends and partner about this they helped set up a business plan and I managed to find a couple of sustainable UK based suppliers. the most important thing to me was that it would be affordable jewellery that was also high quality but with a strong personal and community feel with our customers.

Talk us through an average day in your working life…

I would love to say that I have a hectic working day, but the truth is at the beginning it was a 15 hour a day work day but after the initial launch most of my time work day is spent on social media and finishing of my digital marketing course. I usually put aside a couple of hours a week to look for new stocked items and contacting manufacturers as future plans may contain bespoke Blueberry Milk items.

Our readers love to travel, what destination is at the top of your bucket list?

Japan is definitely at the top of my bucket list! I want to visit Tokyo, and go and experience the fashion and retail in Harajuku, and indulge in the local culture and food.

What does self care mean to you?

My normal self-care means whatever happens in my day, I’ll make time to complete a skin care routine, write down my thoughts on how my day went in my mood and gratitude journal and have a hot drink. However, self-care is different to each person and it should be whatever makes you feel good and calms you down.

For anyone wanting to launch a business in your industry, what advice would you offer?

Research, Research, Research! This is honestly the most important thing, make sure there is a gap in the market for your product, find a niche for your brand to fit into that creates a new gap if you need to. Find out what is working for other brands and find out how you can incorporate similar techniques to your own brand.

Looking back since launching your brand, is there anything you would do differently?

I’m a strong believer in that there are no mistakes, only learning experiences. There are things I only know now from doing things in a slightly different way or ways people would expect not to work, it’s given me the skills to exercise in future opportunities and endeavours.

What has been your proudest moment with Blueberry Milk since you launched the company?

Fairly recently I was diagnosed with a Tumour in my spine, thankfully we have since found out it is benign but my very raw, proudest moment is still being able to run the brand whilst dealing with this diagnosis, it’s been one of the hardest months of my life but I couldn’t be happier with the way I’ve managed to handle everything, it’s something I couldn’t even imagine I’d be going through in my mid-twenties.

What have you learnt about yourself in 2020 that you didn’t know before?

If 2020 has taught me anything, it’s that I’m much stronger and more determined than i have ever been in my life. This year has been so difficult for everyone, and i couldn’t feel any prouder of everyone who has banded together to get through this together.

How much has Covid19 had an impact on your business?

Covid-19 has played a part in the business being slow at times, especially in times of lockdown when people are not going out and socialising.

Social media plays a role in your company, your Instagram feed alone is so creative, how do you switch off from it?

Social media plays a massive part in our company and sometimes it’s very difficult to switch off from, I’m constantly creating content to post, luckily, we have a fantastic team of affiliates who I am really thankful for to help with product and social media photographs.

Find out more and follow Sophie’s journey…

blueberrymilk.co.uk/

In 2016 Lizzy B started making products as a form of therapy. After failed IVF had left her feeling completely lost and she felt like such a failure. At the time, her stepfather had terminal cancer and it was devastating to watch him get so ill and pass away. It was a stressful few years to say the least but from these struggles, her brand B Loved was born.

Lizzy is not just inspiring, she is the the ultimate Bossbabe and her determination and drive is enough to kick even the most demotivated up the a**! We spent some time with her to find out more…

Tell us the journey that led you to launching your brand, B Loved…

I started making products as a form of therapy after failed IVF and losing my stepfather to cancer. I was lost in a sea of grief and a huge sense of failure. Making gave me something to focus on and using essential oils helped to lift my mood and bring a sense of calm and balance. I loved using the oils, but I wanted to make sure I was using them safely and effectively, so I did a 2 year diploma in aromatherapy and essential oil science. This inspired me further and took B Loved to a new level.

Your story is so inspiring, you turned a negative experience and channelled it into something creative.

What was the biggest hurdle you had to overcome to achieve this?

Self-confidence! My confidence had been shattered on a few levels, so I had to build myself up again. Doing the right qualifications with the best aromatherapists and teachers in the business, ensured that I was ready to believe in myself. Knowledge is power and customers appreciate expertise.

You talk openly about issues with mental health, especially after working in recruitment. What does self-care mean to you?

I’ve learned that self-care is a package for me. Eating correctly, exercising, reducing my alcohol intake and taking time to read or having a bath with essential oils, getting enough sleep, these are things I need to incorporate into daily life to function as best I can.

I tend to put a lot of pressure on myself. Working in recruitment, I was very hard on myself and I never took a break. I have learned that taking time out each day is essential to being healthy and successful. You don’t burn out so easily when you make time for yourself.

Travel is also important to me. I have lived and worked in different countries and I need to travel to feel inspired and restored.

For any aspiring entrepreneurs just starting out, what advice would you offer them?

Have the courage but also have the work ethic. Work hard and don’t try to cut corners. Don’t try and jump on a popular bandwagon without ensuring you are 100% interested, committed and the most skilled you can be in that sector; consumers know when you’re busking it.

Be sure of what your brand represents. Learn as much as possible before launching. Understand the importance of publicity and networking. Opportunities rarely fall into your lap; you have to go out and get them.

Get your prices right. Don’t ask friends and family what your prices should be. They may not be your target audience. Ensure you are making enough of a profit once you have accounted for all of your costs. Nothing comes easily but hard work pays off. Be prepared to work incredibly hard and to create your own opportunities.

How did you had to pivot during 2020?

I haven’t been able to trade at markets and events, but I have done some brilliant online events which have really paid off. It’s been a case of changing how I do things but ensuring that I still do things rather than complaining that things are not the same.

I also do therapies and that has switched to online where possible. I have been teaching facial techniques via zoom which isn’t quite the same, but my clients are able to treat themselves and ensure they are getting some time for self-care. We’ve all had to adapt, and this has brought a new skill set to many which is very positive.

Looking back since launching the brand, what has been your biggest achievement?

Winning two awards early on was incredibly positive and reassuring! I sell products all over the UK, mostly online, that is pretty amazing to me as I do all the publicity myself. People are taking a chance by purchasing online as they can’t smell or test the products. But I always get great feedback and have loyal customers. I have learned a great deal about PR and marketing. I feel like I am constantly adding to my skillset which is perfect for me as I like to be active and learning all the time.

Our readers love to travel, what destination is at the top of your bucket list?

Ah so many. I love to travel too. I was supposed to be going trekking in Cambodia for the first time in October. Obviously, it was cancelled due to Covid, but I hope to visit in the future.

Where can people find out more?

You can visit my website www.blovedcandles.com and my Instagram @blovedcandles.