I first met deep-dive master coach Katie Pulsifer when she was my instructor for certification at The Life Coach School. I recall being pretty intimidated. I’ve never been sky-diving or tried a bungee jump, but I’m pretty sure the adrenaline rush is comparable to coaching in front of Katie for immediate feedback in front of a group. 🪂

Katie’s recently gone solo, after many years working for a large coaching school, and as we caught up over Zoom I was struck by how her open, beginner’s mindset to social media is bringing so much ease and fun to her work. Wouldn’t it be great if we could all recapture a little bit of that early magic when we’re showing up on the internet?I asked Katie to come on the podcast to tell us more.

Things we talk about in this episode:

* How Katie found her niche and why it resonates with her deeply

* Building a values-led business, and being ok with not doing things like everybody else

* The mindset shift and learning curve in switching from employee to entrepreneur

* Using Instagram, Facebook, newsletters and Substack to grow an audience in 2024

* The evolution of coaching techniques, including the self-coaching model, and how Katie adapts them to best serve her clients

* The importance of trusting the process, being present, and allowing growth to unfold naturally

Links we mention in this episode:

Katie’s upcoming Mind at Ease masterclassKatie’s website, Facebook and InstagramThe Self Coaching ModelBev Aron’s Deep Dive Coaching Certification

I’m sharing something a little different today… the results of my ‘podcast affair’ with my Aussie bestie, the gorgeous Ms . Bonded over our love of storytelling and creativity, Keeley and I and came together to create - a gathering of resources, classes and a shiny new podcast, in the hope of passing some of that passion along.I chose this very first episode to share here with you on Hashtag Authentic because I really think the fundamentals we talk through - which we’re jokingly calling our ‘commandments’ - are applicable to every and any platform out there online.

So, whether you’re Substack-curious, have no intention of ever joining Substack or are a self-confessed Substa-holic, I hope this episode can offer you support, strength and encouragement for showing your creative side online.If you want to hear more from me and Keeley, be sure to Subscribe to and to the SSS podcast in your favourite podcast app.

PS - Our special Winter Substack class is now enrolling, until Monday November 27th! Check out all the details on how you can join us here.

This week I talk to Katie Leamon, who turned her love of paper and pattern into her eponymous family-run stationery studio. Her notebooks have been a daily companion to me for many years, so it was really fun to chat with her about her designs, her process and the realities behind running a product-lead business with the family on board!

Things we talk about:

* Building from a home studio to printing and selling at scale

* Designing products based on creative instinct

* The rise of independent stationery makers and designers online

* Selling wholesale vs. direct

* Family business, and drawing the the lines between work and home life.

* Taking time for creativity outside of work

* Growing a team, and when to let things go

* Katie’s new experiments in creating ceramic range

* Launch strategies and learning from mistakes

* Trusting your brand identity and staying authentic

Links we mentioned:

* My Substack Soiree class

* Katie’s online store, Katie Leamon

* Katie’s new ceramic range (I LOVE THIS CUP!)

Listened and loved it? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Find Hannah’s 4 Week Refresh Programme here 

Hannah’s Instagram: @hanbullivant

Hannah’s website: hannahbullivant.com

Sara's Instagram: 

Sara's Substack:

Sara's classes and coaching:

Sara's website:

Things we talked about:

• The way multi-faceted careers can feel piecemeal (especially if parenting is added into the mix), or “like I’m doing five different jobs at once”
• Factoring in time to play as well as work
• Exploring your home town like a holiday destination
• Taking things home from real holidays that you might not expect (like appreciating the simple things, family meals, all your possessions in one suitcase)
• Avoiding habits of consuming everything and creating nothing
• Making connections on Twitter (Lisa says, “I engage with people because I love it”)
• Pondering the idea that the Internet means we don’t get bored any more, and what that means
• On making things happen (Lisa was waiting for a radio job offer but it didn’t come, so she started a podcast)
• “People say you’re brave putting yourself out there, but I’m more afraid of not doing it”
• The importance of perseverance, and regularly doing the thing you fear (until you don’t fear it any more)
• We had a frank conversation about money. Despite living an outwardly glamorous life, Lisa says, “I don’t earn enough”
• Becoming an “accidental landlady”: her unexpected foray into property investment to build financial security
• We talked about the way women often hide our realities, keeping everything from messy kitchens to miscarriage behind closed doors
• Everything has to start with just two views. Even the most viral video of all time had only two views at some point.
• And finally, the possibly-surprising-but-then-probably-not location that Lisa chose when I asked her about her favourite place in the whole world

Where to find Lisa:

• On Twitter she's @lfnand
• On Instagram she's @lisafrancesca_nand and @thebigtravelpodcast
• Her podcast: The Big Travel Podcast

The meditation app Sara mentioned:

• Waking Up

Where to find Sara:

• Sara on Substack
• Sara’s website: meandorla.co.uk
• Sara's charity Christmas cards
• Me and Orla 2023 Calendar
• Sara on Instagram: @me_and_orla
• Sara on Twitter: @meandorla
• One to one business coaching with Sara
• The Insta Retreat

Things We Talk About In This Episode:

• Working with clients in the creative process and their reactions.
• How as humans we respond to visuals in a human way. Narratives that make it seem shallow to care about how things look. Like it’s superficial to care too much about the way you look and that this might mean you don’t have depth.
• Aesthetics are a luxury that comes after the essentials of survival and how you can still care about aesthetics, even if the first priority is survival.
• Creating worlds on Instagram for an escape, or for an imaginary world to exist in.
• Growing up in a third-world country and living without running water. Living and growing up in a country where safety isn’t guaranteed and that these things stay with you.
• That where we start is not always a reflection of where we’re going to end up.
• The importance of the client’s story, understanding and connecting with them.
• Taking lessons from pain. Looking for good and having empathy.
• Struggling with seeing our own magic and the stories we tell ourselves.
• Behind the scenes of Sell Your Sh*t, and how the coaching and lessons had an impact on Susan.
• Learning that our experiences of life are not always everyone else's experiences. That our normal isn’t everyone’s experience.
• How Susan joined Instagram as a way to communicate her journey. That starting to share and mingle with people helped her to feel it’s safe to share online.
• That Instagram gives us chance to take small baby steps into being seen or into vulnerability.
• How being in the spotlight can mean you lose the sense of freedom with your account.
• That Instagram can be like therapy, that the discoveries that come as a result of being in the spotlight can help you to understand what you want. It makes you confront a lot of the stuff that’s hiding under the surface.
• How people can reject your work but not reject you, and how we can get this confused, something that’s covered in Sell Your Sh*t.
• Starting a business on Instagram and running a product business.
• How preparing and getting ready is more about feeling ready, and how this is a process.
• Learning about yourself and how your messages connect with other people is something you can’t rush.
• Designing your brand from the inside out, so you can finally stop tweaking your brand. Challenging the there's one right way theory.

Links mentioned in this episode (and where to find Susan):

• Sell Your Sh*t
• Susan product line
• Susan youtube
• Join Susan’s Email list
• Why you need to join Substack with Farah Store

Where to find Susan:

• Susan's website: bysusanmar.com
• Susan on Instagram: by.susan.mar
• Susan on Youtube: by Susan Mar
• Susan's Email List & Freebies: choose-your-own-journey

Where to find Sara:

• Sara’s website: meandorla.co.uk
• Sara on Instagram: @me_and_orla
• Sara on Twitter: @meandorla
• Sara on Substack: meandorla.substack.com
• One to one business coaching with Sara
• Sell Your Sh*t - enroling now

Things We Talk About In This Episode:

• The importance that established news organisations find ways to use social media if they want to engage a young audience
• TikTok has redefined the experience of social media, with short video content, and Instagram Reels and Youtube Shorts have followed suit
• How Sophia found an audience on TikTok (and later on Instagram Reels) by talking to camera about her media stories
• The way we can gain insights into what makes a successful social media post by being a user of the platform
• The importance of constant engagement on social media, both creating and consuming content
• Acknowledging the fear and vulnerability that can come with being authentic and genuine online
• Sophia’s tips for successful TikTok/Reel content: action or engaging content in every second, and lead with your most powerful image/shot/quote)
• Comparing the strengths and drawbacks of the different platforms, especially Reels and TikTok
• When creating Reels content or TikTok content, share that content on both platforms so you’ll meet both audiences
• When it comes to sharing your opinions online, having a sense of purpose goes a long way towards building your confidence
• How Sophia has been promoting her book: reposting user content from her book launch on Instagram, a big thread on Twitter, traditional media appearances, and weekly TikTok videos (interspersed with other content so she doesn’t “spam” her audience)
• The challenges of Internet (and especially social media) censorship with any content relating to sex or sexual health

Links mentioned in this episode (and where to find Sophia):

Editing apps that help you create Reels or TikToks:

• Splice
• Template
• Cap Cut on Apple, and on Google

Here’s where to find and chat with Sophia:

• Sophia on Twitter: @sophiasgaler
• Sophia on TikTok: @sophiasmithgaler
• Sophia's book, Losing It: Sex Education for the 21st Century

Where to find Sara:

• The Insta Retreat  - Currently on Pre Sale
• Sell Your Sh*t - Currently on Pre Sale
• Sara’s website: meandorla.co.uk
• Sara on Instagram: @me_and_orla
• Sara on Twitter: @meandorla
• One to one business coaching with Sara

Things we talked about:

• The value of owning your own audience
• Building a brand for yourself around the work you’re doing
• The growing online hunger for content by real people and the forging of real connections
• We seem to be entering an era that Farrah calls, rather poetically, "the Time of the Writer": the world has passed the period of devouring all the content on the Internet, now we are more discerning, and only want to consume content that we genuinely enjoy
• The continued return of demand for long-form content
• The return of community: the value of hearing from and engaging with your audience
• Giving your best work away from free (yes!)
• The limitations of the stories that can be told in traditional media
• And related, the limitations of creating content when you're in competition for followers or clicks
• When you try to appeal to the masses, you bland out

Farrah's tips for what works well on Substack:

• Niching works well. The more you niche, the more dedicated (as opposed to big) an audience you'll get
• Publishing twice a week tends to grow a "stickier" audience
• Use social media to point people to your Substack content
• Use your "About" page to set expectations and declare a manifesto
• Claim your real name, if you can

Where to find Farrah:

• Farrah's Substack platform, "Things Worth Knowing"
• Farrah on Instagram (for dog pictures and Substack information)

Where to find Sara:

• Sara on Substack
• Sara’s website: meandorla.co.uk
• Sara on Instagram: @me_and_orla
• Sara on Twitter: @meandorla
• One to one business coaching with Sara
• The Insta Retreat

Where to find Sara:

• Sara’s website: meandorla.co.uk
• Sara on Instagram: @me_and_orla
• Sara on Twitter: @meandorla
• Sara on Substack
• The Insta Retreat
• Sell Your Sh*t
• One to one business coaching with Sara

Things We Talk About In This Episode:

• The many ways for a book to “be successful” that don’t involve writing a New York Times bestseller (who knew?!)
• Lockdown lessons, and learning to live with uncertainty
• The surprising weight and reliance that we put on the future, without realising we’re doing it
• The “ladder of hierarchies” through which we try (and mostly fail) to feel better about ourselves
• Learning to enjoy the process of making something, more than the reception it receives
• Drinking the Kool-Aid of never-ending work, productivity, and demonising rest (and this pearl of wisdom: even machines burn out!)
• And the related delusion we buy into, “I’ve put enough into the world that now I feel worthy”
• Shame in its many forms, and diet culture
• Using self-worth as an alternative motivator to shame
• How to drop the shame (the first step is to start noticing it)
• Curiosity is the bridge that can take us from shame to self-love
• And the freedom and curiosity that comes when we finally drop the shame

Links mentioned in this episode (and where to find Jamie):

• Radically Content is available from 12 April 2022, and can be ordered (or pre-ordered if you’re reading this before 12 April) here
• Jamie’s website
• Jamie’s online course on self-trust, “Live with Intention”

Here’s where to find and chat with Jamie in your favourite app:

• Jamie on Instagram @jamievaron
• Jamie on Twitter @jamievaron
• Jamie on Tiktok @jamievaron
• Jamie on Facebook @jamievaron

Where to find Sara:

• Sara’s website: meandorla.co.uk
• Sara on Instagram: @me_and_orla
• Sara on Twitter: @meandorla
• One to one business coaching with Sara
• The Insta Retreat
• Sell Your Sh*t

Things We Talk About In This Episode:

• Recognising the power of what’s possible when people come together with a common goal
• The value of creating your own, distraction-free destination for group learning and support
• Empowering creators to place higher value on the important business, community and content they are making - rather than being driven solely by the pursuit of money and influence
• The importance of community, particularly when we are forging new paths (or making things up as we go along). Gina says, “the single best place to make things up as you go along is in a small, trusted community of people who are there on the same journey”
• The important difference between “community” as opposed to audience, following or marketplace
• The great value of having diversity within a likeminded group is in the different and interesting ways that community members apply the common concepts
• The “fluff paradox” (the theory that content that is easy to judge - such as kittens or outrage - rises to the surface)
• How content and course creators can now market themselves less on formal qualifications or years of experience, and more on how they make ideas and skills accessible to people who can’t yet do the thing we’re teaching
• That networking is increasingly moving towards safe, trusted, creator-led online communities, which in turn is transforming in-person conferences and events less into “networking meet-ups” and more into reunions, with the capacity for deeper connections
• How I use Mighty Networks to create community and support the members of my own 15 Minute Magic program
• Pricing your services and wares, and in particular understanding that people value and pay attention to the things they pay for (a difficult concept to remember when our own self-doubt tells us to keep our prices low or give things away for free)
• Gina’s top tips for building and facilitating a new community: 1. Fear of failure is the biggest challenge most people face, something we all need to recognise and overcome2. Go for quality rather than quantity in numbers of members3. Don’t get bogged down creating content: focus on creating results for your community4. Remember that community is about all members adding value to one another, not you preaching to an audience (“I’m not a sage on the stage, I’m on the side as a guide”)

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Find Gina in the Mighty Network hosts community
• Follow her on Twitter at @ginab
• The Mighty Networks platform
• Information on my 15 Minute Magic program

Where to find Sara:

• Sara’s website: meandorla.co.uk
• Sara on Instagram: @me_and_orla
• Sara on Twitter: @meandorla
• One to one business coaching with Sara
• The Insta Retreat