Dear Friends
Those of you familiar with Mediterranean Wanderer will know that one of my greatest passions is interviewing and sharing the story behind those that have taken a leap and stepped outside their comfort zone to do what they love. For those of you starting new things, wanting to take the next step or wanting to learn what it takes to do what you love, today’s Blog Post is for YOU.
However, the roles have been reversed and I am so thrilled to share a recent interview with the amazing Melbourne based design consultancy agency Tank. Their passion is creating work with meaning and purpose and recognising the importance of cultivating good leadership and creativity to empower people.
I was deeply honoured to be profiled by them recently talking about all things facing transitions, starting from scratch, the importance of being your authentic self in business and my personal journey in launching Mediterranean Wanderer.
If there’s one thing I’ve learnt since starting a business, it’s the value of building meaningful relationships. Tribe and Community is to be nurtured and treasured and I am so grateful at the opportunity to connect with such an inspiring organisation dedicated to empowering people through creating meaningful work.
Here is a little excerpt from our We Are Tank & Mediterranean Wanderer interview:
Q. Tell us about the moment you started. That moment when you realised you had an idea you were going to go all in on. Where were you? What was life like? When was it?
That’s an interesting question. I had actually been planting seeds without even realising it for about 3 years leading up to my full vision coming to life. But things really started to gather momentum for me when I hit an all-time low in 2016. I faced a massive turning point in my life the year before. Within the space of 6 months in that previous year, I lost my brother, said goodbye to an 11 year relationship and 8 years of living a life interstate, packed my bags, moved back to Melbourne and decided to dive head first into my passion for writing.
I became a freelance writer for travel and wellness magazines. This was the first step to everything in my world completely opening up – I had finally invited the change that I was terrified of to enter my life. But in 2016, I had a panic attack, thinking I had made the wrong decision. I hit a real low point, so much so, that I went back to my old life to reclaim it, only to find the door slammed in my face. This was another major turning point. It was at once the best and worst experience of my life. I know now, that this was the moment where the Universe decided that there was a different path for me to take.
This was when the framework of the business started to present itself to me. A series of unexpected coincidences happened around the same time, but I know now, they weren’t coincidences, they are the synchronicities that happen in life when you are on track. It was at the beginning of 2017 when I had a crystal clear picture of what I wanted to do and knew the steps I needed to take to make that happen…
Q. Tell me about your business: What do you do? Why is it important? Who is your audience?
I’m a Writer and Creative Facilitator. I offer one-on-one coaching for writers and creatives as well as those that are navigating change and are afraid to take the next step in their lives. I help them unlock what might be holding them back and support them through this process.
I also host Creative Retreats and Workshops that are all about using the vehicle of creativity to connect with you passion, get unstuck and reflect on the habits and patterns that are no longer serving you. The Retreats and Workshops are about offering people a complete sensory experience, so our location and the activities we do is hugely important in enhancing and cultivating the learning outcomes.
What I offer is something that resonates with me on a very deep level because I had lost my passion, confidence, voice and who I was for a good 15 years of my life. I had derailed from my life’s purpose and I was terrified to take the next step. The fear crippled me so much that I developed anxiety and sleep deprivation. When I took the steps to launch I was so overwhelmed, but what has emerged since then has completely transformed my life.
I know what it feels like to want to move forward but to not trust in your own abilities. I had huge self-doubt and self worth issues. I feel as women, we are reluctant to reveal our vulnerabilities, yet, my experience has been that the minute we do, we give others the confidence to do the same and this is when some of the greatest breakthroughs in our lives emerge. Which is why I really love that most of my clients are professional women who are experiencing a period of transition in their lives and need some direction and support in navigating this process.
Q. What has been the best piece of advice you have received to date?
To trust myself and always listen to my gut instinct. This has proven in the past to be the greatest barometer in measuring whether or not I am on track. If something doesn’t feel right, even in the slightest way, I will back off. Your instinct is your acute, internal warning system reminding you that something isn’t right. Energy is palpable. The minute you go against it, you always regret it.
You can read more HERE.
The hugest thanks to the amazing team behind TANK for their incredible generosity…
Find out more about the amazing work created by the passionate crew at TANK click HERE.
Happy Travels, Paula x
Leave A Comment