990: Emily Paul - Unlock the Power of Alchemy in Your Business
Release Date: 06/25/2025
995: Christina Guthier -Joyfully Exhausted: The Bright Side of Giving Your All
The Self-Employed Life
In this episode of The Self-Employed Life, I had the great pleasure of speaking with occupational health psychologist Dr. Christina Guthier, author of Joyfully Exhausted, about the often misunderstood concept of burnout. We discuss the idea that not all exhaustion is bad, explore the difference between joyful and harmful exhaustion, and examine the effort-reward imbalance that many self-employed people face. Christina emphasizes the importance of managing our energy and recovering from hidden efforts we may not even realize are draining us. Our conversation is a refreshing reminder that...
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994: The Power of Paradox in Business and Life
The Self-Employed Life
People are typically very uncomfortable exisitning in what appears to be a paradox. I think where we often get tripped up is when we believe we have to resolve these tensions—pick one truth and discard the other. But what if wisdom and life comes from learning to stand in the paradox? To hold both truths at once. Sell to the Rich: The Insiders Handbook to Selling Luxury – Contact Jeffrey – Valuable Resources – You know you're really good at what you do. You're talented, you have a skill set. The problem is you're probably in a field where...
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993: Katie Keller Wood - Busting the Myth of Work-Life Balance
The Self-Employed Life
In this episode of The Self-Employed Life, I had the pleasure of speaking with Katie Keller Wood, Montessori educator, TEDx speaker, and author of the upcoming book Alignment: A Montessori Approach to Reimagining Work-Life Balance. We challenge the myth of work-life balance and instead explore the powerful metaphor of a life mosaic—how different aspects of our life can align without rigid separation. Katie shares how purpose-driven work, often viewed with guilt or skepticism, can actually be a vital source of personal meaning and fulfillment. She draws from Montessori principles in order to...
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992: Julia Phelan - Understand the Science of Learning to Truly Change Lives
The Self-Employed Life
In this episode of The Self-Employed Life podcast, I had the great pleasure of speaking with learning scientist, curriculum expert, and the “Workshop Whisperer”, Julia Phelan. In this episode we explore how well-intended coaches, consultants, and course creators can unknowingly do harm when they don’t understand how people actually learn. Julia shares insights into why oversimplified advice discourages learners and how to design effective experiences for people at all levels. We also dig into the myth of learning styles, the difference between good content and good delivery, and...
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991: Overwhelm is Aliveness in Disguise
The Self-Employed Life
Do you suffer from feelings of overwhelm? Too much going on, too much to do, too much of whatever? I know I do and it's always been a source of wasted energy. In this episode I offer a whole reframing of overwhelm, a shifting of how you might think about it with hopefully positive results. Give it a try! Sell to the Rich: The Insiders Handbook to Selling Luxury – Contact Jeffrey – Valuable Resources – You know you're really good at what you do. You're talented, you have a skill set. The problem is you're probably in a field where there is no business...
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990: Emily Paul - Unlock the Power of Alchemy in Your Business
The Self-Employed Life
In this episode of The Self-Employed Life, I had the great pleasure of speaking with Emily Paul, a member of my High Achievers year-long coaching group. We explored the concept of alchemy—what it really means and why it's essential for entrepreneurs. Emily shares how she helps high-achieving individuals dissolve old patterns, tap into deeper intuition, and reconnect with their authentic selves through the transformative power of alchemy. She also explains how her work goes beyond traditional coaching, why energy healing can be just as powerful remotely, and why now is the time for...
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989: The Art of Living Well
The Self-Employed Life
I've spent the past five weeks in Paris with one week left. When I left the U.S., I had some very clear intentions. One of them was to explore all the aspects of #TheArtOfLivingWell. I'd like to share what I learned so that you can consider these "luxuries" in your own life. Sell to the Rich: The Insiders Handbook to Selling Luxury – Contact Jeffrey – Valuable Resources – You know you're really good at what you do. You're talented, you have a skill set. The problem is you're probably in a field where there is no business education. This is common...
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988: Nesha Pai - Courageous Dreamers Win
The Self-Employed Life
In this episode of the Self-Employed Life, I had the great privilege of speaking with Nesha Pai, author of the book “Overcoming Ordinary Obstacles”. Nesha shared how she transitioned from running a fully remote accounting firm to empowering others to pursue their boldest dreams. She further explains how personal tragedies deepened her mission. We explored the difference between courage and bravery, the “Four C’s” framework she uses to guide dreamers into bold action, and how cultivating personal style and daily confidence practices can help us show up as the person we’re...
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987: Annette Mason -The Power of Intentional Sabbaticals
The Self-Employed Life
In this episode of The Self-Employed Life, I had the great pleasure of speaking with Annette Mason, sabbaticalist and Succession Architect at Trilogy Design Works. Annette shared how intentional sabbaticals can be powerful tools for self-employed individuals to regain clarity, spark creativity, and build sustainable success. We discussed the difference between a vacation and a sabbatical, how to structure one even while running a business, and the importance of designing time away with intention. Annette also introduced her framework of Compass, Maps, and Constellations to help people align...
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986: Heather Holloway - Stress Less Serve More
The Self-Employed Life
In this episode of the Self Employed Life, I had the great pleasure of speaking with Heather Holloway, founder of Holloway Media Services. Heather shared her journey of personal and professional emergence, emphasizing the importance of stress reduction and serving more. We further discussed her social media strategy, focusing on the significance of LinkedIn for business networking and personal branding. Heather highlighted the need to set boundaries on social media consumption. She also touched on the evolving role of social media in business and the importance of having a support system...
info_outlineIn this episode of The Self-Employed Life, I had the great pleasure of speaking with Emily Paul, a member of my High Achievers year-long coaching group. We explored the concept of alchemy—what it really means and why it's essential for entrepreneurs. Emily shares how she helps high-achieving individuals dissolve old patterns, tap into deeper intuition, and reconnect with their authentic selves through the transformative power of alchemy. She also explains how her work goes beyond traditional coaching, why energy healing can be just as powerful remotely, and why now is the time for changemakers to fully embrace their brilliance. This episode is for anyone ready to begin their journey to true freedom and step into who they were meant to be.
Rather than letting health challenges, diagnosis, and perceived expectations from others define who she is, from an early age Emily committed to blazing her own path including:
● Completing her senior year of high school in the Iowa town where she lived while her parents and two younger siblings moved a seven hour drive north...
● Declining a teaching career in her early twenties to instead follow her heart and passion and move to an island in the Caribbean to pursue a path of humanitarian
service...
● Realizing why she’d been dying her hair for a decade did not reflect her true self, she chose to gray naturally at age 35.
Emily revels in the sacred space beyond what we’ve experienced or been led to believe is our truth…
The potency of Emily's work lies in decades of her own dedicated self-cultivation and the mastery with which she walks clients through their own internal maze to access latent energy and wisdom. Daoist-infused Alchemy is one means she uses to ignite profound and lasting transformation. Customized integrative coaching/mentoring, ceremony and group facilitation are further means she engages to invoke newfound freedom for her clients.
With a Master’s of Science in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine from Bastyr University and a Women and Gender Studies -BA- from Macalester College, Emily has sought out teachers, mentors, and healers - both within the United States and internationally - who have guided her exploration of meditation, mindfulness- based practices, coaching/mentoring, leadership development, somatic acuity, energetic healing, and perennial wisdom for well over twenty-five years.
All Services and Programs are geared toward personal transformation and cultivating calm confidence in order to show up in an unprecedented way AND find fun in playing a bigger game with life.
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The Self-Employed Business Institute You know you're really good at what you do. You're talented, you have a skill set. The problem is you're probably in a field where there is no business education. This is common amongst self-employed people! And, there's no business education out there for us! You also know that being self-employed is unique and you need better strategies, coaching, support, and accountability. The Self-Employed Business Institute, a five-month online education is exactly what you need. Check it out!
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Host Jeffrey Shaw is a Small Business Consultant, Brand Management Consultant, Business Coach for Entrepreneurs, Keynote Speaker, TEDx Speaker and author of LINGO and The Self Employed Life (May 2021). Supporting self-employed business owners with business and personal development strategies they need to create sustainable success.