The Z Hive Giving Guide

Welcome to the first ever Z Hive Giving Guide!

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

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

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

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

Neuroscience Nuggets #2: Fantasy vs Visualization

I use images and visualization regularly in my coaching and workshops. So naturally I was thrilled to hear that my neuroscience program devoted a lesson to visualization.


But when my teacher prefaced the class by saying there was a right and very wrong way to use it, my internal doubting alarm went off.

"Yikes," I thought! "What if I’ve been doing something wrong? What if scientists scoff at it? What if it's a just a feel-good technique that doesn't really move the needle?"  

First off, reader, we can both breathe a sigh of relief. Visualization isn't going anywhere in my practice. Au contraire, it's about to get very next level. 

But let's back up the tape and get some terms straight before I tell you how: 

• Visualization is using your imagination to conjure up a future scenario that you can see in sharp detail in your mind’s eye, and even feel in your body.
  

• It can be a very powerful tool when you need to get creative, dream big, try on different versions of the life you'd like to live, and see what feels right!
  

• It can also motivate you to accomplish something super hard, messy, and meaningful (e.g. feeling the joy and relief of giving birth without an epidural; hearing your name called at the graduation ceremony after four grueling years of studying; feeling the warm, smug smile on your face after finally beating your son at tennis).
  

BUT, and this is a very important BUT, if you don’t back those delicious images up by also visualizing the process of getting to your goal, the vision simply stays a fantasy. 

According to my professor, Dr Irena O’Brien, "Fantasies can actually hinder success because they embellish future events regardless of past performance and the probability of future occurrences. Therefore, they fail to be a solid basis for acting." 

When you visualize the steps you need to take to move yourself along your path, however, you not only feel less anxious and more confident about what you need to do, you make it much more likely to achieve your goal.

By visualizing the process as opposed to just the result, you’re giving your brain a practical road map to understand and anticipate the resources needed to move you forward.

So, in a nutshell, if you want to go after something specific, you can’t just visualize the end-game, you also need to: 

• Visualize the process to get there.

• Be sure to include any potential internal or external roadblocks or temptations you might encounter along the way.

• Then come up with a plan to overcome those road blocks, or better yet, create an environment that helps you avoid them entirely (more on that in the next neuroscience nugget newsletter).

Photo courtesy Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/photos/aPNE3B0WHTM

Celebrating International Women's Day 2021

Illustration by pikisuperstar

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


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


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


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

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


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


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

---

Anne Razafy

Fondatrice, Spirit Every Day

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

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

Laurence

Corteggiani,

Fondatrice, Atelier ikiwa

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

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

Delphine Tordjman Lipszyc

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

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

Nathalie Fraser

Ecrivaine et coach d'indoor cycling

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

www.instagram.com/nathaliefraser/

Agathe Magné

Fondatrice, Take It Slow

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

www.instagram.com/__take__it__slow__/

Marine Cossé

Co-Fondatrice, Matriochka

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

Sylvie Chayette

Professeur de yoga et meditation

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

www.instagram.com/sylvie_chayette/

Clémence Lejeune

Fondatrice, Sacrées Femmes

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

www.instagram.com/sacrees__femmes/

Client Profile: Clara Moley rewrites Les Règles du Jeu

When I sit down with a client we never really know where our journey is going to take us.  We define the direction and ideal outcome, strap on our seat belts, and go. Months later, our final destination is always infinitely more interesting than anything we imagined before we set out.

It's like packing the car and heading out on a road trip for the beach in Marseille, and then finding yourself on the shores of your own private island, dressed in a fabulous sarong, surrounded by your best mates in a house that's stocked with your favorite foods. 

Which is why I totally love the story of my former client and newly published author, Clara Moley.

Clara worked as a raw materials trader in Brazil for many years. During her time there, she realized that the rules of the game for getting ahead as a woman in a very male industry were heavily stacked against her. And when she tried in vain to get the support and clarity she needed from her entourage or other women in similar situations, she realized that she'd have to invent her own rules. 

Clara nurtured that idea and let it guide her into a personal and professional passion.

Even though she didn't really know where the idea would take her, she let it grow— first into a podcast series and then into Les Règles du Jeu, a riveting memoir and brilliant playbook that just hit the French bookshelves this week.

Clara's journey was filled with doubt and fear.

Exposing your ideas and your story always is,  dear friend.  But it's how you move forward despite the fear that counts the most, how you take control of your destiny by believing that what you have to say far outweighs the risk of exposing yourself to judgement or critique. 

I'm so insanely proud of Clara for conquering her fears and delivering this gorgeous and powerful book to the world.

Please enjoy this interview with her and go buy her book, which you can find in bookstores in France (en français).

Q&A with Clara Moley, author of Les Règles du Jeu: 

1. The message behind your book is very clear: school and work have completely different rules. Being a good student isn't enough in the professional world and effort isn't naturally rewarded. Especially as women, we need to rewrite the rules of the game to get what we want professionally. What experience first sealed that idea for you?
I was asked to deliver a super complicated analysis about market price evolution within a week. I worked full time on it for a whole week, did extra hours to get it right and was pretty satisfied with the results. I was supposed to deliver the results during a Monday morning meeting the following week. The day comes, the meeting goes by the usual way. I see the clock running and no sign from my boss that it's my turn to speak about the analysis. At some point he looks at the clock and goes "OK markets are about to open let's go!" I raised my hand and said, "What about the analysis?" He said there was no time and we'd just get to it the following week. I was SO mad and frustrated when I came back to my desk that I opened an email, put all the conclusions of the analysis in it, graphs, etc and sent it to ALL the traders of the company. Worldwide. About 50 people. THAT moment, that email changed everything for me because for the first time I did something I wasn't told to do. For the first time I took the initiative to do the right thing for me, without being asked or authorized, to promote my work just because I felt it was worth it. What can I do that I wasn't asked to do? That's when my mindset changed. 

2. How did you feel when you realized that you needed a new set of rules to get to where you wanted to be? 
Empowered! The moment I understood that I wasn't the problem, I just had the problem wrong, a new horizon of possibilities opened for me. I felt in charge, meaning that I was responsible for my own path. It was a big change from the passive nature of the school environment. I felt empowered because I realized how of much of the path was actually in my hands. I just needed to explore all of my options. 

3. It's one thing to come up with your own system for navigating the world, but what made you believe that others needed to hear what you knew? What belief took you to the next step of developing your ideas?
The very first step was talking with my girlfriends and realizing we were all going through similar challenges and looking for answers. Working in an all male environment certainly helped me to formulate those answers a bit more quickly. The second step was realizing that amongst everything I had read, watched, and heard about women at work, that none of that content was actually helpful in my everyday life. It was informative and inspirational, but it didn't help me transform my day-to-day struggles. This is what made me believe that there was something missing and that what I had learned in my experience could be helpful to others. I wrote what I wished I had found when I started! 

4. Your book began as a podcast series and you were able to speak directly with the listeners who followed you. What surprised you most about the reactions you got from your audience? 
I was really touched by the reactions I received because many people told me the podcast was useful. That it actually helped them navigate better, understand their environment better and know what to do when they were facing challenges. This was huge for me! It was really important that Les Règles du Jeu was not only a conversation about women at work but something that could actually make a difference. I felt really touched. 

5. When did you realize that there was more to be done with the material and that a book was a way for you to go even further and reach even more women?
For me, Les Règles du Jeu has always been the tip of the iceberg. A very concrete, "actionable" toolbox for everyday life at work. But the reasoning that led me there is much broader and I felt the content needed to be developed. More experience sharing, more anecdotes, more concrete advice for the everyday life, but also more perspective and a full reasoning that helps women adopt the right mindset at work, and an actual method to be able to act and take advantage of every situation at work.  

6. You had to overcome a lot of your own personal doubts and insecurities to get your voice and your ideas into the world. What helped you move ahead despite those fears?
The feeling to be useful and that my experience could help others get the most of their professional situations.  

7. What did you enjoy most about writing this book? What discoveries did you make about yourself and about your subject matter along the way? 
I love writing! But writing a book is so difficult! At first I thought it was like writing a very long essay. It is nothing like it! It takes so much discipline and faith in what you do. I learned how determined I was to bring that content out and how much effort I was ready to put in it. The more I dove in the subject, the more complex it felt, but also the clearer the message of the book became: start with "how." The question of equality in the workplace cannot be globally solved in a day. The causes are too complex and the inertia of a society, a company, a group is too big to see it happen quickly. However it is an urgent matter! Because our careers are happening now, today. So in order to see an actual change at our individual level in the short term, we need to forget the "whys" a little and focus on the "hows:" how can I get the most out of this situation? How can I promote my work better? How can I get more money? etc. And the book answers those "hows." 

8. Of all of the rules, which ones resonate the most for you? 
You cannot please everyone! 

9. Which rules continue to guide you and inspire you to move forward with your projects?
Les plats ne repassent pas. Seize the day!

10. What's the ONE THING that you hope people feel by reading your book? 
Legitimate to give everything they have to reach their goals, and empowered to do so.  

Find me in le club

There’s nothing more exciting than the birth of a dream project. Especially when you know how freaking awesome it’s going to be! 

Which is why you must check out the Business O Féminin Club coming to Paris next month and read my interview below with its founder, Véronique Forge-Karibian. 

I met Veronique for coffee a few months ago at the suggestion of my good friend Ajiri and we hit it off immediately. Véronique and I chatted about our past careers in marketing and journalism and how we’re both passionate about helping women express their full potential professionally. 

Six years ago Véronique launched businessofeminin.com, a dynamic media hub devoted to women in business, and it’s been her dream ever since to bring her platform to life.

Apollonia Poilâne fell in love with the idea and decided to lend Véronique a gorgeous space down the road from her family's famed Parisian bakery in order to test the concept from October 1st-18th.  

The pop-up will consist of a café serving Poilâne treats, a shop stocked with innovative women-owned brands, a library of empowering reads, a lovely lounge to chill and chit-chat and an inspiring events series of workshops and conferences to accelerate women’s personal and professional development. 

I’ll be participating in the project by hosting two vision board workshops on October 11th and 18th.

If you’re in Paris and interested in coming to any of the events use the special -20% promo code. (BFLOVERS)

photo by: Ajiri @Madame de la Maison

Read my Q&A with Business O Féminin Club founder Véronique Forge-Karibian

What inspired you to create the Business O Féminin Club? How long has the idea been brewing? What made you decide to finally go for it?

I organised a couple of events in Paris and London for the Business O Féminin community, including a sold-out breakfast with Arianna Huffington that over one hundred women attended. I realized then the need to go beyond one-off talks and instead offer a program that could accelerate women’s professional development and help them acquire new skills and develop their talents. I also think we need places where women can learn, share and connect with women outside their professional networks in order to create more diversity and inspiration.

What was the hardest part of pulling this project together? What challenges seemed insurmountable and how did you overcome them?

The hardest thing is always to convince people to embark in your adventure, sponsors for example. Apollonia Poilâne, CEO of Poilâne, was the first to believe in this project and support me with a space to host this club. I am grateful for her support so early on to bring this project to life. We were fortunate to also have ENGIE’s enthusiastic support within days! It’s rare for such big organisations to lend their support so quickly. With the coaches and experts, they were also very positive and saw the value in bringing all the different skill trainings in one place.Finally, the women professionals I encounter on a daily basis are excited and find this format to be innovative but also much in demand.

Six months from now, looking back, what do you hope people will say about how their experience at the Club affected them and changed their lives?

I hear so many women questioning their professional and personal lives yet they don’t know where to start. I hope that our workshops and meet-ups will give them the knowledge, skills and confidence to make the right decisions and empower them to make positive changes in their lives. We have had women contact us for courses for all kinds of reasons from wanting to change careers (e.g. banking to start up) to just learning a new topic such as personal branding. I hope all these women will look back and talk about their experience and how profound a change we were able to make in their lives, whether through learning a new skill, gaining confidence, meeting new people and so on.

What do you personally hope to learn from this project?

I want to how learn to create the right environment for our audience. This includes the venue, decorations, themes, content, communications and the economics behind it all. Through my work at Business O Féminin, I was fortunate to have a wide network of exceptional women who could be partners: Valérie Gerbi, artistic director at Merci concept store was just the person we needed to decorate and theme our space with Ajiri Aki from Madame de la Maison adding a touch of beautiful vintage and Amanda de Montal bringing her exceptional scented candles to the club.

Where will people find you during these next few weeks? What events and experiences are you looking forward to the most?

I am looking forward to spending my next three weeks at the club meetings, participating and learning as much as possible about what we can improve for next time. We have decided to cover a wide range of topics from personal branding and public speaking to learning how to code and how to go about starting a new business. Our coaches have varied backgrounds such Olivia Penichou who previously was Communication Director for Christine Lagarde. We will also host special evenings such as the one organised for La Maison des Femmes de Saint Denis, an organisation that helps sexually harassed women and FGM (female genital mutilation) victims to rebuild their lives. We hope to be able to raise money for the founder Ghada Hatem as we are very inspired by their work. The other important meeting will be end of November “Pitch night” which enable start-ups who want to raise funds to pitch in front of business angels and VC’s.

What’s next?

Business O Féminin Club will last three weeks in October but we plan to take all our learnings and create something bigger and more permanent in the very near future.

Hope to see you at the Club!

PS. For the full calendar of events head over here. The direct links to my workshop are here (Oct 11) and here (Oct 18). Spots are super limited and the prices are very friendly so get on it! And don't forget to use the BFLOVERS promo code for a 20% discount. 

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

“Pelote de laine”

It means “ball of yarn” in French.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Anne-Sophie Roquette at her L’Atelier 13 Showroom

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What fears or doubts did you have to overcome? 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What piece in your collection means the most to you?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fast forward to today.

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

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

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

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

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Q&A with Chez Cameil Founder Cameil Kaundart

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Through a mix of trials and gut feelings. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Two dreams in particular have changed my life. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What’s on the horizon?

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

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