Reflections

Inspiration & Creativity On Demand

The famous villain we all call: “writer's block.”

This week we’re exploring misconceptions and biases and answering these questions:

👉 Is writer's block real?

👉Can we be expected to create “on demand”?

I’ll cut to the chase… my answers to both are YES.

I’ll admit, perhaps we can’t all just create genius-stand-the-test-of-time works of art on command each time.

But to create the extraordinary we need to go through the ordinary every day.

If we only create when we have a “flash of insight” we might be waiting a long time.

Because creativity is rarely glamorous or sexy. It’s hard work, practice, and pushing through the “mental blocks” that come up.

If creativity is required in any way in your craft then this episode is for you.

There’s even practical tips and reflections on how you can tap into your creativity on demand.

Spoiler alert: turns out every single one of us uses creativity every day.

Let’s do this. 

🎧 Listen now: www.tomearl.me/icd

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Compassionate Survival & Dancing Through Healing With Jayson James and Lydiana Garcia

When was the last time you danced out all your feelings?

We’re all doing a bit of “surviving” after the last few years… and we could all use a little extra love.

You MUST listen to our special episode that can only be described as POWERFUL as we went really deep with Jayson James and Lydiana Garcia about being strong and vulnerable and what it takes to keep going.

Lydiana is a therapist and healer, using her passion for dancing to support trauma survivors. She describes herself as a mom, healer, dancer, spirit, teacher, and student. 

Jayson describes themself as compassionate, warm, bright, survivor, loving, and balanced.

This is one amazing discussion you won’t want to miss.

🎧 Ready to listen?

Go to: www.tomearl.me/jl

After the episode, hang out with our guests on Instagram!

Jayson.

Lydiana.

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Creativity Is: Life, Always Evolving & A Relationship With Amir Abdullah & Kelly Wilkerson

“Fall in love with yourself first and then let everyone watch.” 

There are so many ways to evolve in your artistic endeavors, but our guest, Kelly Wilkerson, suggests starting within yourself.

We talked with her and Amir Abdullah about the difference between art and life. 

Guess what they said… there isn’t one. 

Life is art and art is an offering to the world.

Amir reflected that creativity is a relationship with giving and receiving, a collaboration with others. He describes himself as aware, thoughtful, uncertain, amiable, an ambivert, and evolving. 

Kelly believes everything is creative, to evolve her art as she keeps showing up everyday as her full self. Because each of us, especially you, are worth showing up for. She also describes herself as: emotional, confident, spiritual, kind, empathetic and empowering. 

Ready to experience the full episode?

🎧 Watch or listen to it here -> www.tomearl.me/ak.

You can hang out with Kelly Wilkerson on Instagram.

Amir asks you to check out his website to get to know him.

If you'd like to learn more about T.H.E. Celebration Academy.  Here's 30 days of Free Membership.

Facebook & Instagram Ads Reflections With Nickey Rautenberg & Tom Earl

Do you use paid ads for digital marketing? Should you?

On this week’s episode, I’m joined by a brilliant marketer, Nickey Rautenberg Norrish, as we discuss the ever controversial topic of… paid Instagram and Facebook Ads.

This topic has so many layers, it was fun unpeeling them by reflecting on best practices and past .

Most people don’t know that with a low budget ad spend, they can be getting 25x the clients vs. organic reach… and with a lot less effort. 

But so many are unsure of the unknown, have heard horror stories of ads being rejected, or just don’t know where to begin.

That’s why Nickey and I really get into the science of ads and how to use them, with tips on what you should do next to get started or optimize what you’re already doing.

I get the honor of working with Nickey through my Facebook Ads agency - THE Celebration Media, so I can say she’s truly an expert I trust!

🎧 Ready to listen? Let’s go!

You can watch or listen here: www.tomearl.me/nickey

Wanna know more? Follow Nickey on instagram.

If you'd like to learn more about T.H.E. Celebration Academy.  Here's 30 days of Free Membership.

Complex Connection and Unrestrained Release With Andrea Hodos and Omar El

We’re back for another one of my favorite style episodes where we dive DEEP into gratitude with two seriously amazing guests. 

This week was full of beautiful feelings that could only be described by one of our guests, Omar El, as therapeutic.

Andrea Hodos is an artist, the creator of Moving Torah and an Associate Director at NewGround: a Muslim-Jewish Partnership for Change.

She goes deep to talk about connecting to yourself as well as others and shares how she helps others to do just that.

She spends much of her time connecting people with their roots.

Omar describes himself as complex, an idealistic dreamer who is hardy and multidimensional. He shares his vision for the world and what he’s currently creating for the world at HighAtlas.Shop.

You won’t want to miss what these two lovely people share with us on this episode of Complex Connection and Unrestrained Release…

Get in touch with Andrea on her website:

Hang out with Omar on Instagram:

Ready to dive in?

🎧 Listen now: www.tomearl.me/ao

If you'd like to learn more about T.H.E. Celebration Academy.  Here's 30 days of Free Membership.

Discovering Your Effortless State

“Burnout is not a badge of honor. It is true that hard work can equal better results. But this is true only to a point…

All too often, we sacrifice our time, our energy, and even our sanity, almost believing that sacrifice is essential in and of itself...

...what if, instead, we took the opposite approach? If instead of pushing ourselves to, and in some cases well past, our limit, we sought out an easier path?”

—Greg McKeown

A few week’s ago we explored McKeown’s book Essentialism and this week we jump straight into his follow up book, “Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most.” 

Personally, I love grit. 

And hard work. 

And sweat. 

That feeling when I’m in the zone, where everything just flows and all time and surroundings disappear.

Then there’s the feeling where there are a million to-dos on a very long list and I’m waking up in the middle of the night, exhausted, but still feeling the push to get up and start crossing things off that list. 

Then I read these words from Effortless: “Relaxing is a responsibility.” 

Wow.

How does that sit with you? Kind of uncomfortable right? 

I invite you to take this journey together into how we can reach that effortless state while dedicating more of our time to what truly matters to each of us. Because I’m working on it and I think we’re both going to get so much out of it.

Let’s do this. 

🎧 Listen now: www.tomearl.me/es

P.S. You can learn more about Greg McKeown’s book here:

If you'd like to learn more about T.H.E. Celebration Academy.  Here's 30 days of Free Membership.

Creativity is: Kind, Weird, & A Raucous With Adaora Nwandu Earl and Cet Mohamed-Moore

Creativity can get kinda weird.

And that’s a good thing.

We talked about that and more with this week’s guests.

We got two super creative humans on this special episode where the amazing Cet Mohamed-Moore and Adaora Nwandu Earl.

We explored whether art comes from instinct and how over time you evolve into new versions of yourself.

And how to oldly show up as your full self in life and in what you create.

Catch the fun as we dive into the process of creating on a regular basis.

Since we are all creatives, one way or another, no one should miss the inspiration that came out of this session.

When asked to describe themselves in 6 words or less…

Adaora said: kind. enthusiastic. determined. ambitious. focused. Fun.

Cet said: loving, creative, loyal, weird, protective, and curious.

📲 Wanna hang out with our guests on social media? Go to Instagram for Cet and Adaora.

🎧 Ready to listen to the creative?

Hit Play.

Go to www.tomearl.me/ac

If you'd like to learn more about T.H.E. Celebration Academy.  Here's 30 days of Free Membership.

Mindset Matters With Lashana (Ms. West Creative Coach) and Charlese (Girl at The Yellow Desk)

Mindset Matters. 

Simply stated, it’s because your perception is your reality. To combat negativity, you MUST change your thoughts to change your life.

On this week’s episode, we move beyond all the mindset cliches and what you think you know about it while we take a deep dive into the importance and methods of cultivating thoughts needed for a better and more successful life. 

I’m joined by two brilliant guests: LaShana aka Ms.West Creative Coach and Charlese - Girl at The Yellow Desk.

LaShana and Charlese share their personal stories and journeys, along with how they’ve learned to pivot, grow, and succeed despite life’s twists and turns. 

We also talked about how to build meaningful relationships, especially with your customers and the importance of active listening and research so that your audience feels seen and heard. 

Most importantly, we explored the way motivation follows movement and we covered what to do if you’re feeling stuck, burnt out, lost or frustrated so you can turn it around.

Charlese Latham is known as the Girl at the Yellow Desk. She was an entrepreneur in the beauty industry for over 20 years, but her inspiring story of resilience tells us how a devastating accident led to early retirement of the only career she knew and starting over again with a new business and life, with more success than ever.

Her strengths are Copywriting and Content Creation, especially for course launches and she absolutely loves to support other female entrepreneurs by taking away their overwhelm during busy launch seasons with her 3 steps to a 5-figure course launch system.

She’s been published in Entrepreneur.com, featured in Self Magazine, interviewed on dozens of podcasts, spoken on several summits, worked with multiple 6 and 7 figure client launches, is about to release her book, and has recently launched her very own course: Plan Your Best Launch, Ever!

You can connect with Charlese on Instagram @GirlattheYellowDesk and use the link in her profile to grab her FREE Social Media Templates for a 5 Figure Launch.

LaShana West aka Ms. West Creative Coach has been serving in the mental health field for over 20 years.  This is where she learned the importance of having true compassion and engaging in servant leadership.  All of these learning opportunities have positioned her to serve and step into a new direction by helping others in the creative and entrepreneurial field.  

With the mental health background coupled with the business acumen LaShana is able to help the "whole person".  LaShana believes that past unresolved trauma and imposter syndrome is a common barrier for most people no matter if you're a 9-5er or entrepreneur.  But with support and accountability you can do ANYTHING that your heart desires!

You can connect with LaShana on her website: www.mswestcreativecoach.com or text the word ‘Mindset’ to 678-336-7756 and she’ll send you her best tips!

👉 I promise you, THIS is an epic episode, you won’t be the same after. 

🎧 Listen HERE.

If you'd like to learn more about T.H.E. Celebration Academy.  Here's 30 days of Free Membership.

Confident Compassion & Thoughtful Ambition with London Jones and Rayesa Gheewala

As the US heads into the Thanksgiving season, it’s a great reminder for all of us to stop for a minute and reflect on what we’re grateful for.

Because there’s always something, especially the more you dive in.

On this VERY special Deeper Gratitude episode, we’re talking with our amazing guests Rayesa Gheewala and London Jones about what we’re each thankful for now, in this moment, and what we can do with that.

Because gratitude is best followed up with intentional actions. Thoughtful ambition. And confident compassion.

We asked questions like:

  • Where are you going deeper in your life? 

  • What do you want people to go deeper on?

  • What are you grateful for right now?

  • What is your invitation to those who are listening to this episode?

Rayesa Gheewala is a coach for women, helping them to find life after divorce. She created The Divorced Muslimah Network - a sanctuary for sisters who are divorced, or in the process, providing safety and support and helping to restore self esteem and confidence while rebuilding lives.

Rayesa describes herself as authentic, clear, patient, compassionate, confident, and resilient. She described our conversation as epic. 

Connect with Rayesa by starting at: Rayesagheewala.com

London Jones is a leader in the Black Equity Collective, working to normalize a culture of trust, collaboration, mutual respect and shared accountability, committed to building a future where Black organizations, families and communities thrive. 

She describes herself as thoughtful, ambitious, sensitive, complex, curious, and playful. She told us this conversation took her on a journey.

Hangout with London on Instagram.

You’ll find yourself inspired to share in the appreciative spirit and energy created here.

Ready to jump on in?

🎧 LISTEN now.

london&rayesa.jpg

If you'd like to learn more about T.H.E. Celebration Academy.  Here's 30 days of Free Membership.

Disability Awareness & Making An Impact With Catarina Rivera

How often have you reflected upon your biases, assumptions and misunderstanding of disabled people?

This week we are joined by DEI consultant and stigma smasher Catarina Rivera.

Caterina is the founder of Blindish Latina, a platform smashing disability stigmas through storytelling, advocacy, and training.

She is also a member of Respect Ability's National Disability Speakers Bureau.

Catarina illuminates this important conversation and provides knowledge and actions we can all take and shares with us about the many twists and turns she has taken on her own journey.

As we celebrate Disability Employment Awareness Month and Latin Heritage Month, it’s appropriate to listen as Caterina shares with us ways we can work to be more inclusive 365 days of the year.

Honestly, I learned so much during this interview.

🎧 Ready to listen? Let’s go!

You can watch or listen here: www.tomearl.me/cr

Follow Catarina on Instagram.

Learn more on her website.

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If you'd like to learn more about T.H.E. Celebration Academy.  Here's 30 days of Free Membership.