Ep. 36: How to Transform Your Outlook Through Minimalism and Mindfulness with Karyn Wilson of Joyfully Minimal

And through the mindfulness, I started paying attention to myself and noticing what in my life brought me value, not just stuff, but things like my job, things like the people that I was spending time with. And I started to realize, like, I don't think I really, you know, need to be here, like in the job I was in, or even in the city that I was in.

Welcome to the Prosperous Woman Podcast. I'm Claire Sellers Sellers. Claire Sellers, a business mentor and coach who is absolutely obsessed with helping you create the business of your dreams and your most prosperous life. Tune in for inspiring conversations with extraordinary women that will propel you towards becoming a prosperous woman.

Welcome everyone.

So, so, so excited to welcome one of my absolutely amazing clients who has been with me for 3 rounds of the Dream Accelerator. She's absolutely incredible. Karen Wilson, she is the go-to minimalism expert, and she's going to be sharing her incredible story today as well as educating us all on what minimalism actually is and how it can change your life. Karen, welcome. I'm so happy that you're here.

Thank you. I'm really excited to be here and to talk to you today, Claire. It's been such a great experience in the Dream Accelerator the past, um, year, I think it's been. Uh, so I'm excited to talk about what that's like.

Yay, me too. So, First, I just always like— it's always interesting to me. I don't know if it is to everyone else, but I always like to tell people how I meet my amazing clients because I'm so blessed to get to work with women like you who just like have such amazing hearts. I really see you as just like you're such a heart-led leader, and I'm so grateful that I was connected to you through Wild Terrain. You came on my retreats that I used to do through Wild Terrain. So we love Wild Terrain.

Yes, it was such a great experience. And getting to meet you and all the other women, it was just like the, the thing that I had been needing for a really long time. And I, and I had actually followed Wild Terrain for probably like 6 or 7 years and never went on a trip. And then one day I was like, I should just sign up for this retreat. Sounds amazing. And now here I am.

Ah, I love it. And actually, I know I said I was going to let you introduce yourself, but I just have to tell this very quick story because I just like transported to this moment. So on day 1 of the retreat, we go to this incredible restaurant that's in a garden basically. And then the group walks from the restaurant to the hotel. And I remember, Karen, I don't know if you remember this. I'm just weird. So I remember these little moments. But somehow I ended up walking along next to you, and I don't even remember how it came up, but within like 30 seconds you said, "I really want to start a minimalism business." And I was like, "Oh, you do?" Do you remember that?

Yeah, I do. I do remember that. I think, yeah, we were walking together and I think you had just turned to me and you asked me a question. I don't even remember what the question was, but that was my answer.

Yeah, I just like remembered that moment and the retreat's not a business retreat, by the way. Like it was just— but this, what you have created over the last year was on your heart. It's been on your heart. You know, you started it actually during COVID Yeah. And it's been on your heart for, you know, since what, 2020? And like the last year you've really built the business, like to fully build it. So I just love like linking back the stories of like this was something that was like on your heart, on your mind, and like something you were really wanting to bring into the world. So tell people about your amazing business and what you do and how you help people.

Yeah, so my business is called Joyfully Minimal, and I am a minimalism expert and a decluttering coach. I help people clear space out, not only in their homes but also in their lives, to be able to go after the things that they want. I feel like a lot of people, we hold on to things from our past, and, um, we don't realize how much those things and that clutter in our space actually are weighing us down energetically and keeping us from moving on to our next step or moving into our next phase of life. So I help people just understand how they can, through mindfulness and minimalism, stop holding on so tightly to these things that they don't need anymore and start stepping confidently into the next phase of their life.

I just like am so proud of you. Like hearing you share that is like next level to me. Like you just owning so confidently, like I'm a minimalist expert and decluttering coach, like with every fiber of your being, like It's just amazing. And this is really like a testament to you and your commitment to your mission and your vision and your business. And I just want to reflect that back to you. Like, this is so embodied in you, and, and you weren't always so confident in claiming that.

Yeah, definitely. It's definitely taken me time to understand like how I can confidently claim those things and tell people what I do because for a long time I just kind of was like, yeah, this is something I'm interested in. But I didn't understand how to actually make it a business. I just knew it was something I liked talking to people about. It was something that I consider myself to be a minimalist. I've considered that for, I've considered myself to be a minimalist for probably over a decade now. And just realizing that a lot of people don't actually understand what that means, or people have like preconceived notions of what that means that may not be correct. So it just kind of started out like just explaining to people what that means and why it's an identity that's important to me. And realizing that people were getting a lot of value out of what I was telling them, and people would constantly come up to me and tell me, "Oh, that thing that you said, like, I've been thinking about it for a really long time, and it's really changed the way that I've done this or I've done that." And after that happened a couple times, it started to click for me, like, "Okay, I think people actually have a lot to gain from what I have to say about this." So I wanted to find a way to make that accessible to people.

I love that, and there's so much in there. Okay, first I just wanna like highlight for everyone, Karen did so beautifully what is very hard for some people, which is she dared to be obvious. And oh my God, Karen, we didn't mention that you're an improv star.

Yeah.

You're a woman of many talents, but give us your, actually give us your background Like how— tell us a little bit more about you because the improv piece is huge. I was going to go into the 3 rules of improv, but let them hear about you, your background, and like, you know, you've been into minimalism for 10 years, but you weren't like born into a minimalism family or something like lineage or something like that. So kind of give us a little bit of background.

No. So actually, um, I would say that the journey started about 10 years ago after I graduated. From college, and I actually went to college to be an interior designer, and that was my first career. I worked for corporate design firms and, and did that whole thing. I did that for probably 4 years. Um, but I really hated it, and I felt really lost the entire time that I was doing that. I lived in Washington, DC, where I'm originally from, and It just— those 4 years were just really tough because I had come out of college, and I had moved away from where I went to college. So I wasn't around my college friends, and I was working in this career that just didn't align with me. I just wasn't really— I wasn't fitting in with the people at my jobs, and I was really, really unhappy. And so I was just looking for ways to make myself happy, I guess. Like, I was just looking for any sort of glimmer in this dark period that I was in. And at that time is when I found kind of like the 3 things that have become like huge pillars for me, which is minimalism, mindfulness, and improv. I wasn't really aware of any of those things, before that, but through actually listening to different podcasts, I discovered all of these things. And so at that time, I started taking improv classes at the Washington Improv Theater, and I started learning about minimalism and mindfulness, and I started meditating and really learning how to be present with myself and understand who I actually was and what I actually—

Mm-hmm.

Liked, and I started almost feeling like I was living a double life in a way where I would go to work and be really unhappy and really stuck. But then after work, I'd go to an improv class or an improv show and just feel so alive and so happy. And I started to notice like, okay, if I can be this happy in this space, I shouldn't be so unhappy in the other space. Like, there's just this huge disconnect that I was noticing. So at the time where the minimalism comes in is I, I was moving from one apartment to another apartment, and I thought to myself, you know what, instead of just taking all this stuff from this one apartment to my next apartment, why don't I actually intentionally go through all this stuff that I have and really think about if these are things that I want to take with me to my next space. And a lot of the stuff was like stuff from college, stuff from childhood that my parents had, had given me when I moved back. And it was just a lot of stuff that I didn't actually need. It was just stuff that I had accumulated in my life up until this point, but it wasn't actually that valuable to me. And through learning about minimalism, I, I learned about this idea of value and what actually brings value to your life and what doesn't. So before I moved into this new apartment, I very intentionally went through my stuff and got rid of a lot of stuff that I had had for years. But I realized it was time to let that stuff go so that I could move into this next phase of my life. Feeling a little lighter, feeling like I had a little more space, and that felt really good. So as I started to notice all of these things, the, the happiness in the improv, the lightness from letting go of stuff, um, I started to really— and through the mindfulness, I started paying attention to myself and noticing what in my life brought me value, not just stuff, but things like my job, things like the people that I was spending time with. And I started to realize, like, I don't think I really, you know, need to be here, like in the job I was in, or even in the city that I was in. I started to realize, like, I actually think I want to leave DC, and I want to try something new. And it was really, really scary. Because I, when I just, when I realized that I wanted to leave the interior design field, I had no idea what else I would do. Like, that was what I went to college for, you know.

Yeah.

That's what I had decided was gonna be my career. But after 4 years, I just knew like, okay, I, I gave it a shot, but it's not for me. Um, but I just had no idea what else I would do.

So what I— I have a question that I don't know if anyone else is dying to know this, but I am. What made you think, like, and what drew you to interior design? Because I actually think there's— you were on to something there, it just wasn't that. But like, what was it about interior design?

Yeah, I think I decided when I was like in high school that I wanted to be an interior designer because I, I always was creative and I liked art and I I just loved spaces. I loved architecture. And so I, I was drawn to it as a career because it, it felt at the time like it combined all of my interests. But I think in reality, the corporate aspects of it are just not right. Maybe if I had gone into the more like residential version of it, maybe. The practice. Maybe I wouldn't be here today. But, um, but when you're in design school, they kind of push you towards corporate because it's just a lot easier to get a job because there are these big architecture firms. Um, and so, you know, as, as like a 20-year-old college senior, I was like, well, if they're telling me to apply to these—

Practical. You know.

Yeah, they're like, if this is the practical thing to do, then, then that's what I'll do.

Yeah.

And that's what I did. And it just— yeah, it wasn't right.

It would be. And I think that, you know, I, I can really resonate with that, you know, with my story, which people have heard. But I just— I think it's, it's important to see how, like, your dots were connecting even then, you know. And it— and because You, something, for some reason, and we could probably trace it back, like you just, you were like, I'm going to be an interior designer. And then, like, the practicality of life kind of swooped in and steered you in a direction that just didn't feel aligned. And fortunately, like, you had the courage to say, like, this isn't right. You know, and I think, like, what you experienced is what so many people, especially now, are experiencing because they're afraid of the job market or they're afraid to lose the security. And so they stay in careers that don't necessarily feel aligned. And so I just want to A, normalize that that's happening and B, use you as a beacon of hope and inspiration for everyone to see what's possible when you say, "Okay, this doesn't feel good. And I know that it's not just me because I can go to this improv space and feel amazing." So like, I've got to make a shift.

Yeah, exactly. And, and as I started to realize, like, I, I just felt like I don't need to be this unhappy. Like, there has to be a better way. I just felt very sure that that couldn't be, you know, the end for me.

This isn't it.

Yeah, like, I can't just— like, I can't believe that everybody who has a job is this unhappy. Like, there has to be a job for me that I actually enjoy. So what I ended up doing was just quitting my job, and I had no plan for what I was going to do next, but I knew that I was a smart person, I was a capable person, and that I would figure it out. Like, of course I had lots of fears over, you know, how will I make money? How will I pay the bills? But I just told myself, like, if you don't think that you can figure it out, then you must think that you are an idiot. And I was like, I don't think I'm an idiot, so I think I can figure it out. And I just started doing whatever seemed most interesting to me. I worked at a concert venue. I worked at the Shakespeare Theatre in DC. I just, I just started I taught improv. I just started taking jobs that seemed interesting to me, and I gave myself the space to just explore. And during that time, I also got an amazing opportunity to travel to Argentina to teach ice skating, which was another skill that I had.

Your resume is like so incredible, like improv star, ice skater, like—

It's amazing. Yeah, and all these opportunities just, just kept, you know, showing up. And, um, I always tell people it was like the most clear moment in my life where if you just make the space, you know, quitting my job, making that space in my schedule, opportunities just appeared that I never could have imagined. Like, I never imagined that I would have the opportunity to travel to Argentina for like 2 weeks. Um, but if I had still had my job, I would've had to say no to that opportunity. Um, so it just, it just was such an, I mean, it was a scary time, but it was also an exciting time because I had the freedom to really do what I wanted, which I had never really had before. And so that was really exciting. But it was, it was just a couple of months before the pandemic. So when the pandemic started, I was able to work part-time, but for the most part, I, I just was having to, like, take classes online, or like sign up for workshops, and just try to find ways to follow my interests. From home. And through that, I started getting the desire to start my own business. Like, what would that look like? Um, and so that's when I started talking to people about mindfulness, and I started teaching workshops about— sorry, about minimalism. Um, I started teaching workshops about minimalism, and the workshops were very well received. And that's when I started to get the idea, like, okay, I think there's something here. I think I have something to teach people. And I, I think I did that for about a year, maybe a little less, but I just got really kind of burnt out trying to organize the workshops constantly. Um, I didn't have like a real strategy for, for what I was doing.

Mm-hmm.

So I thought maybe instead of doing all these workshops, I can turn this into a longer course. But I— and so I spent some time putting together the course. But then when it came time to actually sell the course, I just froze. And I told maybe like, I think I emailed a couple of people and didn't get a response. And so I was like, oh, no, this is a bad idea. And I kind of shelved it, um, until I met you. And, and you— and I joined the Dream Accelerator, and you helped me sort of take this idea back off the shelf and put some structure and strategy behind it, um, and, and start selling it. And so, um, I went through the first round of my course last year, which was really exciting actually getting to teach people all that, that I have to share, um, and bring people through that process that I went through. Um, so that was so exciting.

Yay! Okay, I love this. So I want to back up and just do a little plug here for The Three Rules of Improv, because without— without— I don't think— did you— I don't even know if my improv teacher in theater school is like well known, but did you know about Dan Diggles before I told you about that book?

No, I've never heard of him.

Okay, well, you were doing it. Like, as you're talking, I'm like, oh my God, she was following the 3 rules of improv. So if you've ever done the Build Your Dream Biz Challenge or the Dream Clarity Challenge, you've probably heard me talk about Dan Diggles, who was my college improv teacher. And we will link his book in the show notes because I just think he's amazing. And I've taken his framework of the 3 rules of improv and, and I realized that these are actually the rules of business and life as well. So rule number 1 is dare to be obvious, which Karen did over and over and over again. She was like, I love improv. I'm going to take improv classes. I like ice skating. Here's a trip to Argentina. I like mindfulness. I'm going to learn more about that. You just kept daring to be obvious with what was in front of you. I think a lot of times when people are kind of in that phase of like, "I have no clue what I want to do with my life," they start trying to intellectualize. They're like, "I'm going to go think about it." And you don't really need to think about it. You just need to look at what's the obvious thing in front of you. And then you do the second rule, which is say, "Yes, and..." So like, you know, the people always say like, "Oh, it just fell in my lap." And it's like, well, that's how the universe works. You know, when you put yourself, when you walk out onto the way, the way will appear. It's one of my favorite Rumi quotes. And you saw that, you know, like you just kept putting yourself in the path and things kept coming to you. And this is how it works with business too, you know, with clients. Like when you have a clear offer, when you're speaking to them in a way that they can hear, they will come to you. But things don't just fall in your lap when you're sitting on the couch watching TV all day, every day. You have to like be out in the world and in your life. So the first rule of improv is dare to be obvious. The second is say yes, and, and then the third is make your partner look good, which I kind of changed, sorry, Dan, to make the universe look good. And how do you do that? By following through, by taking action, by saying yes, by actually stepping into what's calling you instead of stepping back. So, I just wanted to highlight that like you were doing that in your journey to really honing in on the minimalism as your path very organically. So, well done. I love that. And I also just want to speak to like the freeze that you experienced. Because I think this is something that a lot of women who join the Dream Accelerator come to me in the same place where they've actually got the idea and they've probably even developed the course or the program or the product, but then they went to launch it and it was like crickets or it just didn't blow up the way they thought. And so then they were like, "Oh, it didn't work. No one wants it." And so then they end up just like taking a break or whatever, however you want to say it. And I just want to normalize that too. You know, like that happens and that happened to me too when I launched my first group. I basically like let everyone in for free. I had one person that paid. So this happens for a lot of reasons which we address in the Dream Accelerator and kind of get things rolling in the right direction. But— I just, again, want to thank you for being vulnerable about that because I think it happens more often. I think people put things out into the world and then they kind of freeze or collapse. And then they actually never find the courage to put it back out there again. So once again, your courage is a major through line for you in your whole story. Yeah. So tell us a little bit about Joyfully Minimal, like the brand vision, because it's, it's not just about stuff.

Yeah. Yeah. It's really about— so first of all, it's, it's about teaching people about minimalism. And first of all, just what that is, because I think—

What is it? Tell us.

I think a lot of people hear that term and Whenever I do a challenge or a program, the, the first question I like to ask people is just what comes to mind when you hear the word minimalism? And I get anything from like a blank white room to like, um, to, to like a, to just someone who like lives in a van. It's like just like a wide range of, of things. But I think what a lot of people think about when they hear minimalism is like somebody who has like a set number of stuff, and they're really organized. And they just like won't have anything more than that. But for me, I like to say that minimalism is a way of living in alignment with your values. Um, and for me, that, that looks like being mindful of what I use and being honest with myself. Like, um, for me, like, the example I always like to give is like, I'm not super into cooking, so it doesn't make makes sense for me to have like all of this food or spices and like cooking supplies in my house if I'm not actually cooking that much. But for somebody who does really value cooking, they might have like a kitchen that's like stocked full of stuff and it might look, you know, messy to some, but to them that's really valuable. And so I, I teach people how to identify what they value and to really lean into that. Right? Like, if you love books, and sure, have a library full of books, you know, if they are bringing you value. But if you have a bookshelf full of books that you never touch that are collecting dust, maybe you don't actually need all of those books. And for me, I bring mindfulness in a lot because I think it's a really important part of the process, being able to actually notice what you use and what you don't use, because I think a lot of us go through our lives very mindlessly because we're overwhelmed, because we have a lot going on. And so you start to accumulate things and you put them down, and then you forget what you have, right? Like, you know, we all have like that chair in our bedroom that's just full of clothes that we've put down and never picked back up, right? Like, we just are so used to like setting things and forgetting them. But I teach people to bring more mindfulness into it. It's like, pay attention to the clothes that you're constantly wearing versus the clothes that you're never touching, or, you know, the, the things in your desk that are, you know, fall into the back because you never touch them versus like the things that you use constantly. And it takes some practice noticing those things. But I think once you start paying attention, you start to realize like, oh, there's actually a lot of stuff that I have that I don't actually need. And when we start to get rid of those things, we're able to make space in our lives energetically for new things to come to us. Like when I quit my job and I started to get these opportunities, like, I think a lot of people think that things happen in reverse, and it's like, okay, I'll get rid of this when I have the next thing. But a lot of times life doesn't work that way. You have to get rid of the thing first to make space for the next thing to come. And so I help people go step by step through their space to start identifying, you know, the things that they don't need so they can get rid of those things and make space. Um, and a lot of it is also about decision-making.

Mm-hmm.

Because I find that A lot of people who are struggling with clutter are also struggling with decision-making. And I just think a lot of us aren't really taught how to make our own decisions, and that can get really overwhelming when we're trying to build a life for ourselves. But we don't actually know who we are or what we want. And that gets reflected in your space. When you have a space that's just full of stuff, you don't even know what it is or why you have it. Um, and I find that people who, who kind of are in that situation don't really know what they want, or they're afraid to ask for it. So, yeah, go ahead.

No, I was just gonna say, you know, it's, it's interesting because I was gonna ask you, like, why do people let things accumulate. And I actually think one of the reasons is because they are overwhelmed, so they can't make decisions. And, you know, I always say like marketing is a mirror. Well, I think your home is a mirror.

Yeah, definitely. I think that— I think a lot of it comes down to decision-making because I, I find a lot of people will tell me, you know, their biggest struggle is the fear of, if I get rid of this, will I regret it?

Yeah.

And I always tell people, like, if you aren't using the thing in the first place, like, what, what is there to miss, right? But I think it's very linked to a scarcity mindset where people are afraid, like, if I don't have this, if I can't see it, then what am I losing out on?

Yeah.

But I help people reframe that by, you know, when you make space and you allow space for the unknown, like you don't know what's coming, but if you believe that good things are coming, right? Then good things will come to you. And what was I gonna say? Yeah, so decision-making, that's what I was saying. And so I tell people that, like, if you can't— if you can't even decide, you know, where, where clothes go, or like what clothes you want, how are you going to make those bigger decisions like career?

You know, you can't.

Like, exactly.

And, and I think that is like so important and just like a something to really highlight about your program, which we're going to talk about, is that, you know, if you can't make a decision about like what pans to keep or throw away, then every— like the bigger things, like do I go back to school or, you know, should I quit my job, like that will absolutely paralyze you.

Exactly. So I tell people, like, you start, you start by organizing your closet and you end up understanding who you are and what you want. And like, it seems like a big leap, but it's actually not that big of a leap. Because as I find, as you start going through your stuff and you start realizing, oh, this is who I used to be, but this is who I am now, you start to gain more confidence in who you are. And when you can say this is what I want and this is no longer me, you feel more empowered. And so I take people through their entire space and you start learning, learning how to make those decisions for yourself. Like, this is what I want, this isn't what I want. And that actually is a really radical thing for some people to just say, this is what I want. Um, It, it like, it doesn't seem like it, but for someone like me, like, I, I wasn't— I was never really raised to like speak up for myself, or it was just something that was always very hard for me. I also consider myself to be a recovering people pleaser. Like, I just wanted everyone else to be happy at the expense of myself. But when I started to get confidence in what I wanted it made saying no to people a lot easier. Another area that I find is really tricky for people is like gifts. Like, oh, someone gave this to me, so I feel like I have to hold on to it. Have to keep it. Yeah. But you know, if it doesn't fit in with your life, like, you know, you can still be grateful that you got this gift, but you don't have to hold on to it. Right? Like, we can let things go. It's okay. But a lot of people just really struggle to like, say no in that way or to let go of things that were gifted to them. Or a lot of people really struggle with sentimental items, feeling like, "Oh, well, this, you know, brings up a memory." But I always tell people, you know, memories are memories. Things aren't memories. Yeah. You know, sometimes it is nice to have a token of, of an experience you had, but also even if you got rid of that token, you'd still have that memory because you still had that experience.

Um, yeah, it, it's, it's also, I think, I think that if we— I always like to look at kind of like what's the root and like everything you're talking about, and I think people will relate with this, like fear of making a decision, fear of disappointing someone, fear of, you know, what are the other things? Like fear of making the wrong choice, whatever. Like they all kind of root back to fear of failure. What if I'm not good enough? What if I'm not lovable?

Yeah, yeah. And it's all reflected in your space, all of those fears.

Yes. So true. It's like crazy when you think about it.

Mm-hmm. Like, you know, one example is I worked with someone who went through their closet and she realized she'd been holding on to like a lot of clothes from like when her body was a different size. And she realized like, oh, like, why am I holding on to these clothes? Like holding on to this idea of myself that I don't have anymore. You know, and it was really empowering for her to be able to get rid of these clothes and accept the way she was now and not feel like she had to have this memory of that, you know, different version of herself. And there are just so many examples like that of people that I've worked with who, you know, come across something that they realize they've been holding onto that was just so emblematic of a past version of themselves. That no longer was who they are, right? Um, and it's really freeing to physically let go of those things, like have a physical reminder of like, that's not me anymore and I'm gonna let this go.

It's so— I'm really glad that we're having this conversation because I just think people don't— and this is part of, you know, the work that we've been doing together over the last year with your business is like helping people connect the dots. And when we first started with your first course, it was more focused on the stuff, but I think over the last 6 months or so, we've kind of evolved the messaging to speak more to what you're talking about right now because it's so big. Yeah. And I think sometimes we try to oversimplify, which I'm the queen of simplicity, but sometimes we try to oversimplify so that it's more digestible for people. But what we're talking about here is it's very layered and it's very complex and it lives in the body and in the nervous system and the mind and in the home and in your decisions and relationships. so multifaceted.

Yeah, I mean, it's, it's very emotional, or it can be very emotional. And that's why so many people struggle with clutter, because there is so much tied up in it. Like, if it was easy, you know, no one would struggle with it. But, um, but it's hard, and I get that. And so I try to be very, very supportive. That's, you know, feedback that I always get that I'm really proud of, that people feel you know, very supportive. It's very supported by me and not judged, because I think a lot of people are afraid that I'm going to judge them for what they have. But it's not about that at all. It's, it's just about helping people decide for themselves, right? Like, I always say, like, only you can decide what's valuable to you. Like, I'm not here to tell you what to keep and what not to keep. Yeah. I'm here to just help you understand or reflect back to you, you know, what you're telling me, because at the end of the day, it's about what you want.

Totally. And I think it's gonna be different for everyone, and that's the beauty of, you know, your program, which I'd love you to tell us a little bit about. I think it's so valuable that, you know, —people can hear in the group. Like, for example, like, I might have a coin collection, and that's something that I deeply value. And someone else might be like, "That's weird. Why does she have a coin collection?" You know? But that person might value antique French scarves. I don't know. Like, it doesn't mean you have to get rid of everything. It's more about identifying what matters to me, why does it matter, and then owning that.

Exactly. Yeah. So my program, it's called Liberate Your Space. It's a 6-week group program to help you not only let go of the things that are holding you back, but also make space to curate an intentional life. And so every week we'll meet on Zoom and tackle a new space in your home. I'll have step-by-step guides to help you going through your space and also questions to help you reflect and— And just get to know yourself better, especially for people who are feeling stuck and are ready to transition to a new phase of life, whether that be a new career or just living on your own for the first time or, um, starting a family. One of my clients, um, was getting ready to start a new family. Like, it just— when you're in a period of transition, it's so easy to mindlessly, like, move on to the next step without, you know, making space. But when you are able to actually mindfully make space and let go of the past and make space for the new, it just feels so much better.

It's so amazing. And I think you've seen your clients— first and foremost, I just want to highlight, you're a living result of your process and your program. You're a walking testimonial, which is the best. That's what we want. And I think you see all the time, like the impact that this work has on your clients, where it's— yes, it's about the space, but like Liberate Your Space is actually about like liberating your, yourself.

Yeah, spectrum. Yeah, exactly. Like you can't go through your space and not learn something about yourself. That's what's so cool about it, because, because it's your stuff, you know. And you might learn, you know, "Oh, there's something hidden away that actually was really special to me," and that's a beautiful moment. Or you realize like, "Oh, this thing, it used to be important to me, but it's not important to me anymore, so I'm gonna allow it to be free and maybe gift it to someone else," because that's part of the process too. Like, I also encourage people to, you know, not just throw things out if they can help it, but like, donate it or gift it to someone.

Yeah, yeah.

And there was a really beautiful moment in the last round where someone, you know, found, I think, a jacket in their closet that just wasn't their style anymore, and they ended up gifting it to a younger woman that they mentored. And she was just saying how good it felt to, like, pass this on to a mentee and how excited the mentee was to get this., to get this gift. And, and so that can feel really good too.

I love that. I love that. So we're gonna link all of your links below. So we're gonna link your Instagram, which is joyfully_minimal.

Yes.

Um, and people can DM you to learn more about— you offer free one-on-one consults, and then you also have Liberate Your Space, the group program. So that's how people can get involved with you there. So we'll link all of that. And before we wrap up, I'm just— tell you, your journey in the Dream Accelerator has been unique because you've grown and evolved so much. I feel like you're a different woman now than you were on day one. I wish I had a side-by-side because it's just like, I feel like you've just totally blossomed. So I'd love I'd love for you to just share, like, what has your experience in the Dream Accelerator been like?

Yeah, my experience in the Dream Accelerator has been so great. I think the most impactful piece of it, you know, besides just all of the great wisdom that you share, is, is having a group of women who are also doing the same thing are wanting the same thing that I want, which is, you know, to, to have a successful heart-led business. Um, and just the— all the women that I've met in the past year in the Dream Accelerator have all been amazing and a great support system. And I think that was one of the things I was really wanting in the program was I don't have a lot of people in my life that are wanting to be entrepreneurs. So being able to be in a group of women who are all entrepreneurs was really exciting. And being able to chat with everyone and see what they're going through and to, you know, when they launch, seeing what comes up for them and knowing that like the same thing comes up for me and being able to feel less alone in this very difficult but fun— Mm-hmm. Experience has been great. And having all of the resources that Claire provides, being able to lean on that whenever I feel unsure, and also just being able to reach out to you, Claire, when, when things come up, or even just to celebrate things and not have to feel like you're celebrating alone, being able to, to see all of the other women also celebrate me when I have a win is really fun.

I love it. I love it. And you're just such an amazing group member. And this conversation, what stands out to me is just your courage and your commitment to your mission. You really feel that and you see that. And when people follow you on Instagram, they'll see just this really feels like it's your purpose. And I think that that's why your business is just going to continue to grow because I know that this really matters to you. It's rooted in your story. And I'm just so grateful to have been a part of helping you bring it to life.

Yeah. It's been— I mean, yeah, like you said, it's been a complete transformation. Since I started, and just the way I even feel about the business now than I did a year ago feels like a complete change. And it just, it feels like such a part of me, you know, that, that I never want to give up, um, which is really nice.

It's the best feeling because you are your business.

Exactly.

I always say that, like, your business isn't separate. Like it's not like a thing. It's like you are your business. And when you start to run a business like that, you don't get burned out. Like you don't end up resentful because like you are your business. It's like it's the thing that matters most to you.

Yeah.

And when you're building and selling and sharing from that place, it's just, it works. So thank you for being a testament to that. Thank you for being here today and sharing your incredible story. Um, I know that there's going to be so many women who are inspired by you and what you're doing and want to work with you to help them liberate their space because I think we all need your expertise in that department. So thank you for being here, and I can't wait to share your story.

Thank you so much, Claire Sellers Sellers.

Thank you for tuning into The Prosperous Woman Podcast. I'm I am so grateful for your presence and for being a part of this community. Feel free to DM me @itsclairesellers on Instagram. I would love to connect with you and hear what resonated with you in this episode. Forget to subscribe to the show, and if you enjoyed what you heard today, leave a 5-star review. Your feedback means the world to me and helps me reach more incredible women just like you. You. And because I love to spoil you, just DM me a screenshot of your review on Instagram and I'll send you my free Prosperity Activation Course as a thank you. It's my way of investing in you and your dreams. Thank you.