Staying Rooted in Your Creative Vision with Angela Ellison | Episode 54

This is an unedited transcript and the timestamps don’t match exactly with the final audio. Thanks for your understanding!

15:07:54 I’m going to hit record now so it’s not for not. We will dive in, record on this computer.
15:08:01 Okay, yeah, sounds good.
15:08:06 Okay, Angela, I’m so excited about this episode and I would love for you to share right off the bat What’s your personality type?
15:08:16 Any personality label that you resonate with?
15:08:20 Well, I identify with a few. Introvert is definitely one of them. I’m a very introverted, person, but I’m functional enough for business.
15:08:32 I also identify with being a manifesting generator with sacral authority. I’m an Aquarius rising and son in Pisces moon and I really do identify with all of that and I really do identify with all of that and find you know, and I really do identify with all of that and find, you know, little parts of those things within myself.
15:08:52 Awesome. I feel like a lot of my guests have been manifesting generators. I don’t know.
15:08:57 I don’t know what’s in the water. But I love that those are useful for frameworks for you to lean on and get energy from and make decisions around.
15:09:07 Yeah. Yeah.
15:09:08 So with that, I know you just went through a rebrand, which is super exciting.
15:09:12 What is your current trajectory? What’s your vision for your life and your business? Either related to the rebrand or just in general.
15:09:18 Yeah. Well, sir, it all kinda came together in the most beautiful way and I have to give a shout out to my brand designer Renee Linger Sia of Renee Lynn Creative.
15:09:31 She did a phenomenal job with my rebrand and it just makes me feel way more competent about just where I’m going in my business and with the way I want to support conscious creatives.
15:09:44 And over the last year, I did a lot of work doing Dubsado setups and really, you know, helping people automate their admin and everything.
15:09:55 But as I’ve been working with conscious creatives, I’m really saying that there’s such a need for just having someone to think through their process and to have that partnership and collaboration and that outside perspective.
15:10:11 And so I am really leaning into that as I go into this next phase of my business and I’m just really excited to open up.
15:10:22 A new service called Thought Partnerships, with a systems focus. We can really collaborate on.
15:10:30 What’s really needed to operate their business, whether it be new tools or maybe it’s changing the strategy of how they operate their services.
15:10:39 There’s just so much, you know, and creatives have a lot of big ideas, but they need someone to help them to get those ideas going.
15:10:50 And implement them.
15:10:59 Yeah.
15:10:52 Yes. So many of the words. You used. Are straight out of my playbook and methodology to the idea of thought partnership, the idea of offering outside perspective.
15:11:03 Yeah.
15:11:05 You know, we are just so close to our own businesses and that’s for sure true for systems, especially for creatives who often feel, oh, I’m not a systems person.
15:11:17 But definitely also with the types of clients I work with who maybe they are actually pro marketers or they hate the idea of marketing, but regardless they feel too close to it to be able to do it themselves.
15:11:30 And so I love that we’ve both found avenues to do that for and with clients. And it’s such a valuable resource to have at our disposal to have someone that we can trust.
15:11:46 To share our ideas, share our vision. And have some structure or framework to make that happen.
15:11:56 Yeah, exactly. I know I love that similarity with us as well and that we can take these big scattered, you know, tangled up things that people may have.
15:12:08 Going on or they’re big ideas and then we can bring them down into manageable steps and processes that then they can move forward and that just feels really good.
15:12:19 And I’m sure that you’ve had clients say something similar, but I had one recently that was like, this is what I can’t do for myself.
15:12:30 And I find that the strategy work and the process work. That’s for my clients really value that time because that’s where they’ve needed someone more than anything else, you know?
15:12:45 Okay.
15:12:40 Yeah, I’ll have the thought partnerships offer linked in the show notes. But yeah, I literally just had someone come through my inbox.
15:12:48 Yesterday or earlier this week and say I could write a million one about pages for someone else but I have been struggling for so long to do mine.
15:13:01 When it comes, she said something like, when it comes to my own inspiration leaves the room or something like that.
15:13:05 And it sounds like that’s exactly the case. For your clients as well.
15:13:09 Yeah, yeah, it’s really wonderful to be able to collaborate and just meet people where they’re at.
15:13:17 I feel like that’s just a really big a big part of what I want to do and moving forward with my business is just really lean into that.
15:13:27 That people just need to be met where they’re at and to just be acknowledged for what they need and to have someone support them.
15:13:33 And making those next steps in a way that feels good to them.
15:13:37 Hmm, yes, yes. I love that. So as you think back. What was the one decision or experience that changed the trajectory of your life?
15:13:53 That’s a big question. It’s kind of twofold for me because it’s like, well, the decision led to the experience, which got me to where I’m at, the decision led to the experience which got me to worry I’m at and I had planned my whole life since I was 5 years old playing with my stuffed animals that I was going to be a public school teacher.
15:14:12 It was my big dream and that is where everything in my life was focused. From, you know, what I did in college and all my networking locally, that was my big dream and I was able to do that for about 10 years.
15:14:28 And various positions. And one of them being a middle school teacher. And I was at a school that I absolutely loved and it was just the most wonderful place.
15:14:41 But unfortunately during that year at the end the district had a budget crisis. And my position got cut down and then I was transferred to another school which meant starting over again.
15:14:57 And I had been at a few different places before then, but I was so happy. So It was really heartbreaking.
15:15:05 To me, after all those years and I had to decide, well, what do I do next?
15:15:11 So I took a year leave to just let myself think about it and I’m grateful I was able to do that.
15:15:19 But then it was like, you know, it’s time to move forward with. Being an entrepreneur because it’s something that it had been in the back of my mind and I’m like you know I have a lot of skills and interests maybe I could help people in another way and so That all kind of worked out and eventually led me to where I’m at.
15:15:42 Yeah.
15:15:40 Beautiful so often. When I asked this question, it’s one of those. Lemons to lemonade type stories and I’m sure the techniques that you learned.
15:16:03 Okay.
15:15:55 In you know learning education and like and and and I’m sure that the teaching techniques that you learned and the idea of working with people who maybe are a little resistant or have different needs.
15:16:11 I mean, you already said very specifically, acknowledging their needs, meeting them where they are. That sounds like something that absolutely comes from being in a classroom with kids from all different backgrounds and learning levels.
15:16:20 Yeah. Oh.
15:16:25 And so I’s so beautiful that that translates to fully grown. Adults who are in different phases in their business or they could be in the same phase and just have a completely different mindset or background or vision and so that’s a really beautiful transition that you went through.
15:16:41 Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, it feels really good and to be honest, I don’t think I really fully grieved it.
15:16:52 I kind of just had to. Separate myself from that whole. For a while. And what’s really lovely is that now with this brand refresh and this kind of new shift in my business brand refresh and this kind of new shift in my business, I feel like I’m coming home to that brand refresh and this kind of new shift in my business. I feel like I’m coming home to that.
15:17:11 It’s like I’m going to bring that back and so it feels really good to just let that be part of who I am for other people.
15:17:16 So I’m really excited about that.
15:17:20 Yes, so I think some of these concepts have already come out in our conversation, but very specifically what are some or all of your guiding values that you live out in your business?
15:17:35 Yeah, well I have several. Reciprocity is a big one. For me, I’m really giving back to people, especially like with my clients, I really value them working with me and want to give them my very best and just, you know, being really conscious is another one.
15:17:56 Consciousness about Just paying attention to people, the planet, what’s going on, being mindful.
15:18:04 Stewardship of course really being connected to the earth I love gardening and just attuning myself to nature feels good and and knowing that other people share this planet as well.
15:18:19 Accessibility, consent and autonomy are also some of my other guiding values because I really believe that people need to have the freedom to choose what’s right for them and that they are also an agreement for what they need in their life.
15:18:42 Oh yeah, I can see that so much and I can even see those. Values reflected in The email collection that we created.
15:18:55 Yes.
15:18:52 Especially that autonomy to choose what’s right for you. What is your voice? How do you want to craft and curate your customer experience?
15:19:02 Okay. Yeah.
15:19:02 How do you wanna sound? How do you wanna make people feel? And those the values you listed aren’t necessarily, you know, word-for-word what my values are, but they’re on the same plane, right?
15:19:13 Yeah. Yes.
15:19:16 Which is why the collaboration worked so well. But you specifically said consciousness and conscientiousness is one of, it’s one of my core values.
15:19:22 Yeah.
15:19:35 Yes.
15:19:23 Really considering other people’s point of view and and perspective and experiences and allowing that to be injected in the work we do and the impact that we make in whatever capacity feels right.
15:19:41 Yeah, yeah, it’s just it’s all felt very aligned. I love our collaboration and just how everything is flowed so beautifully between us and I think that that is the power of working with someone whose values are aligned.
15:19:55 It’s like every layer that we put into these templates and the support and guidance we created together.
15:20:02 Really is a very authentic representation of us. Living out our values and honoring people’s lived in experiences and their humanity, which we both deeply care about.
15:20:18 Okay.
15:20:14 Yeah, yeah. Well, that’s the perfect segue to my next question. Which is How have your values sparked action in your business?
15:20:23 How have you chosen to live out some of these values? You don’t necessarily need to go through every single one, but one or 2 examples that comes to mind.
15:20:28 Yeah.
15:20:31 I’d love to hear them.
15:20:31 Yeah, sure. Well, one of the big ones that I think about is last year I joined 1% for the planet just as a way to really showcase one of my big values and contribute in a meaningful way.
15:20:49 To people in the planet. I really love their mission. And so I did that last year and So that, you know, Tyson was stewardship, reciprocity, consciousness.
15:21:02 And then another big piece of my value, sparking action, is that when I know more about something, You know, whether I learn like a more ethical way to do something or I see the other perspective in something and I’m like, oh, like, yes, I can see how that impacts.
15:21:23 People or that impacts the planet or Whatever it is, as I say, systems impact people and that’s one of my health I will die on.
15:21:32 But when I know more, then I have to shift and part of that is just a creative person, but if I’m ever working Out of alignment with myself or my values or I’ve just learned enough, then I need to make those changes and I think that’s where these thought partnerships have come from.
15:21:52 I finally came across that idea and I’m like, yes, that’s what I’ve created.
15:21:57 And, and I feel like that’s so aligned with who I am. I love collaborating with people and supporting them in guiding them.
15:22:05 So my values are always in there as I evolve as a creative.
15:22:11 Yeah, and I think it’s wonderful that you identify as creative even as a systems person and I know that you serve creative so I think it’s a wonderful parallel to their experiences as well.
15:22:23 I’d actually love to unpack a tiny bit what you mean by systems impact people. I feel like there’s something really juicy there.
15:22:33 So how like what what is that hill that you would die on when at it relates to systems impacting people?
15:22:40 Yeah, well we see it all around. I mean, we could point to like how our healthcare system works here in the United States.
15:22:48 You know, you have to have a job in order to get health care and how everything is so tied to something else.
15:22:55 That isn’t accessible to everyone. And so that’s just one example, but also, you know, when we look at marketing, you know, urgency and scarcity and all those things.
15:23:09 Those are systems that are oppressive and make people feel pushed and pressured and out of their bodies.
15:23:17 And so that causes a real true physical stress, you know, it all kind of connects to the body.
15:23:24 In a lot of ways and And just people, you know, everywhere. And, so yeah, when I say systems impact people, it’s a very real and felt experience, you know, and And that’s something I’m so passionate about, you know, we carries so much inside ourselves and also collectively, you know, and so I’m just very passionate about.
15:23:51 You know, systems of justice and making it possible for people.
15:23:59 Yeah, and even my brain automatically goes to our email collection. Just because it’s about the launch.
15:24:04 Yeah Yeah.
15:24:11 Great.
15:24:07 You mentioned your city and urgency and we do have special pricing, right? But it’s not meant to pressure anyone and it’s, you know, it’s limited time.
15:24:17 But it’s not that, oh, this is going away forever. It’s that we want to be as generous as possible from the get go.
15:24:20 Right. Yes.
15:24:27 Yeah.
15:24:33 Yeah.
15:24:24 We want as many people as possible to experience this. Access this. We want it to feel as low of a lift as possible from the get-go and then as we get feedback then all right.
15:24:40 Exactly. Yeah.
15:24:38 The price is shifting, right? And it could go up or down in the future, but it’s that you know, quote unquote, traditional scarcity.
15:24:53 Right.
15:24:48 Without it being pressure pact. At least that’s not the intention, right? We don’t want anyone to feel like, oh no, if we don’t buy by February, the fourteenth, our lives will be worse.
15:25:00 Yeah, no.
15:25:05 Yeah.
15:25:01 No, it’ll just be that much better or more accessible if you do. So. I think that’s, I don’t know, when I think of you, I think of like very gentle marketing.
15:25:13 I, when you read a book recently too, I always forget the title. Do you happen to remember that the book that you referenced that has really changed your marketing game?
15:25:21 Oh yes, it’s called Quiet Marketing by Daniel Gardner and that just really spoke to me a lot and it was like okay if someone out there is like me you know similar and showing me that oh yes I can do this another way too and so that’s felt really good and and yeah I think you know, kind of back to what you were saying too, like with our launch of our templates.
15:25:50 I really like that we’re allowing 2 weeks to really celebrate this. These templates and what we’ve created and I feel like that’s a really nice time for people to think through whether this is a good purchase.
15:26:03 For them or if they need some more time versus like having it be, 24 h or 48, we’re celebrating it for 2 week period and And I think our big intention is to kind of collaborate with other people and get their input, you know, and that feels really good.
15:26:20 Hmm.
15:26:23 To me, to invite people into this experience with us because we want to create and response to what’s really helpful for them.
15:26:33 Yes.
15:26:30 Yes, okay, I will link quiet marketing in the show notes and love those 2 words that you just use celebration and inviting.
15:26:40 Invitation, right? That is absolutely the vibe. And I hope, I hope people feel that as well.
15:26:42 Yes. Yeah, me too.
15:26:46 Okay. So. You read quiet marketing, you talked about, well, when I learned something new, I make changes.
15:26:54 What has been the biggest lesson? You’ve learned as an entrepreneur?
15:26:59 Oh, there is a lot. I could say I’ve learned many, but the one that really is I would say is resonant with me right now is to stop working against myself.
15:27:16 And I think that’s where I felt the most friction in the last couple of years. And part of it is we need to experiment, try things out, see what works for us, right?
15:27:24 We’re creative people and interested in a lot of things. But I have found that I have done some things because I have felt like I should be doing some of those things.
15:27:36 And so that’s where I have found that my energy gets really drained and then I just kind of feel a little more burned out, you know, and And I’ll say honestly and working with other creatives and just from observation, this is what often does late to burn out when we’re working against ourselves and not You know, listening to what we really need, you know, and that’s actually one of the things
15:28:06 from Daniel Garner’s book is that She’s kind of, or just Danielle Gardner.
15:28:12 She’s like, how do you really want to do this? You know, and that really a sparked a lot of inspiration for me and was like oh yeah well how do I really want to run my business you know and so It kind of all has come around full circle and everything.
15:28:30 And so I’m really grateful. To have learned from her.
15:28:34 It is amazing. How seldom we ask ourselves, how do we want to run our own business?
15:28:41 Yeah.
15:28:41 How often we put ourselves into some box. We have to work 9 to 5. We have to do marketing this way.
15:28:48 We have to do sales this way. We have to do collaborations this way, whatever it is. It is amazing how we leave.
15:29:01 Yeah.
15:28:58 You know, Jobs and just create another job for ourselves in 7 of a business, a lifestyle, an empire, whatever it is that we want to build.
15:29:07 So I think that’s such an important lesson and you know, one that we continually have to learn, right?
15:29:11 Yes.
15:29:13 It’s not. One and done necessarily, but I think that’s such a beautiful lesson that you have.
15:29:18 Yeah.
15:29:20 Been growing in and through. Yeah.
15:29:22 Yeah, it’s really good. I’m grateful to have learned that to start the year and to recognize that I think sometimes we don’t realize how much we are working against ourselves or not.
15:29:35 In alignment with our personal energy or, you know, or maybe we’re just totally interested or wanting to connect and network a lot, but then we don’t realize, hey, like this is affecting my body and and my ability to sustain what I really want to do or the life I want to create.
15:29:52 Yes, so along those lines, what advice do you have for women to take confident meaningful action in life in business?
15:30:02 Yeah, well. I really just want to encourage women and creatives to just really stay rooted in their creative vision.
15:30:13 How they, you know, they have this idea, you know, and I know that I do too about Just.
15:30:22 Hold on. Hold on.
15:30:30 No, I will just cut. Okay. We’ll start back the question. What’s the advice you have for women?
15:30:35 Oh. I was doing well.
15:30:38 You are doing awesome. It’s great.
15:30:40 But host like I have that right here. Okay, yes, I I have my notes I’ll go right back to those
15:30:48 Perfect.
15:30:51 Okay, so just jump. So what advice do you have for women to take confident meaningful action?
15:30:57 Well, I really recommend that, you know, when you can, I highly recommend taking the time to tune out all the noise out there.
15:31:06 Especially on social media. That’s where I often find myself getting really distracted and compared comparing myself to others.
15:31:15 And I think there’s a lot of value in allowing yourself to slow down even if it’s just for a small portion of your day and allow yourself to think through those next steps that you really want to do or to just notice like what’s going on here and you know, trying to think, well, how do you really want to move forward?
15:31:39 And I also really recommend exploring other options and alternatives out there. You know, maybe you’re feeling kind of stuck or frustrated with something or maybe you’re curious to try something else.
15:31:51 You know, search for that out there in the great world. You might find someone else doing that and that might inspire you to do that too because now you’ve seen like hey I thought that was possible.
15:32:05 I think I can do that as well and that is such a good feeling and also just to trust yourself too because There are so many things that we’re told that we should do or you know the best time to post or we need to be visible in a million ways.
15:32:24 We But just trust yourself and follow your energy and just tune out all the noise out there because you actually do know what to do and you just need to listen to that.
15:32:38 Yes, following your energy. That’s something so many of us could be so much more tuned into.
15:32:44 And one of the best ways to do that is by tuning out that external noise like you said, right?
15:32:50 But then also not not just putting blinders on. Like you said, if you think something’s possible, look into it.
15:32:57 Ask around. Do some digging. I know you did the Green Marketing Academy. That opened your eyes to all kinds of ways that ethical marketing could be and feel and So it’s not a question of.
15:33:14 Hey.
15:33:11 Living in a silo and never listening to outside perspective like we talked about. It’s that idea of following what feels right, going down those rabbit holes.
15:33:22 I think it’s such a beautiful concept. Yeah.
15:33:21 Yeah, totally. Yeah, just being aware of. You know, how you’re feeling and, and if you’re feeling stretched thin or something, it’s like, well, you know, link into that.
15:33:36 Yeah.
15:33:36 Like, why is that? And also to it’s helpful to talk to other people too if you haven’t, you know, fellow entrepreneur out there.
15:33:45 I know that that’s helped me so much and you know, even being an entrepreneur. Being an introvert, you know, I still need to connect and I love talking with my close friends and business owners and that helps me so much too.
15:34:00 So being connected but also grounding yourself in what you really need to be so powerful.
15:34:09 Yes. That’s actually so funny that you mentioned connecting with other people. Because
15:34:15 Okay.
15:34:31 Yeah.
15:34:18 That is one of the biggest surprises for me about entrepreneurship. Is I am absolutely an introvert who gets energy by Being alone and yet I find it so energizing to run this podcast interview guests.
15:34:35 Have coffee chats with fellow entrepreneurs and mamas and all kinds of people who just get it who can commiserate and brainstorm and share resources and pass referrals.
15:34:55 I don’t know.
15:34:43 I never was particularly social in jobs and being, you know, quote-unquote social is a huge part of my business now and it’s just so funny how
15:34:59 Following our energy can look and feel so different depending on our intention and and who’s around us and and what we’re working for.
15:35:07 Yeah.
15:35:05 You know. Yeah, totally. You know, it’s like whatever is inspiring to us or, you know, yeah, I think it’s just fun to just follow what sparks our inspiration and how we want to grow and how ever we’re wired, you know, follow your curiosities and passion.
15:35:25 It just can make such a difference.
15:35:27 Yes, so what is a message that matters to you something that recaps our conversation or something entirely else that we haven’t covered.
15:35:36 A message that matters to you.
15:35:38 Yeah, well one of my big messages right now and that I will stick to for a long time is to Just stay rooted in your creative vision, you know, don’t get distracted by all the things out there that tell you, oh, you need to do it this way or that way or you need to be online at 9 a. M.
15:36:02 Every day, whatever it is out there, you know, just remember the life that you want to create, how you want to contribute to the planet to other people, how you want to give your creativity back into the world and in make it better, you know, or change things and create a more just world, you know, your creative vision is so needed and so valuable and it belongs here.
15:36:29 So that’s why I’m such an advocate of just being attuned to yourself as well as being connected with other people.
15:36:37 So that We get that balance of outside perspective and so that you can just continue this good work that you’re doing because it is so important.
15:36:49 Yes, it absolutely is your people are out there. You just need to find them, connect with them, and go from there.
15:36:56 Yeah. Yeah.
15:36:59 So speaking of connecting, how can people connect with you?
15:37:02 Yeah, well, they can find me on Instagram on LinkedIn and of course my website.
15:37:08 Those are all good places and I’m currently working on the rebrand and refreshed on my website, but you can still find me there.
15:37:16 And just really excited to connect more with other lovely conscious creatives. I’m just always inspired to meet new people and to hear their stories.
15:37:27 And to just find out all the cool things that people are doing out there and just constantly amazed by the creativity, you know?
15:37:38 Yeah, it is.
15:37:33 Yeah. Same, that’s the entire premise of this podcast. Yeah, all of Angela’s links will be listed in the show notes and everything else we mentioned as well.