Hi, Sweet Listeners!
I am back behind the mic, more fired up than ever to share another chat I had with an animal with you.
I am curious: are you an entrepreneur or solopreneur? Or are you stuck in a job, ready to move on and expand? Do YOU?
If you have any furry, feathery, scaly, or hide-covered animals around you, ask them for help.
Ask them to help you manifest your next best version.
Your 2.0, or 3.0, or 5.0. Version.
If you are ready to be your next best version, please, please please, let your animal/s help you get there.
I've connected animals and people in meaningful ways for decades. It started with therapy horses and humans who benefited from their therapy. Today, I love giving animals a way to express their needs and want to help their personal humans benefit from a deeper relationship.
I love every minute of what I do. And I feel I could do more. I could reach more animals and people. Because I know there's nothing more important for both of us, our animals and us than to be heard and seen. Ask yourself right now who your favorite people are.
I bet money on it that it is those who understand you. Who listen to you. Who see you, hear you - which is not the same as listening - who hear you and actually raise you.
And when I say “who raise you,” I'm not speaking about the people, the parents, grandparents, uncle ants, or sister who raised you. I am talking about the people who raise you to be your best. Who raise you to become your next best version.
I don’t know about you, but those people are hard to find. And I was ripe to meet one of those people to help me take my solopreneur self to the 6.0 version.
Now, I want to give some credit to my animals here. My animals see, hear, and get me in more intricate ways than I fully understand. Right, they know us on a visceral and energetic level. They know when we’re unhappy in a situation. They don’t read every thought but feel our energy and how it settles in our body. I have told you before how my dog Scout gets diarrhea when I try to be the hostess of the mostess for my family. Shana told me as I shared with her how I felt unsure about an upcoming business meeting, and she told me “to get up and walk away if it feels funny in the gut.”
My animals truly know me the best. They give me incredible feedback on how I show up in the world. Be it anxious, concerned, or too much in my head. And they aslo show me when I show up content, aligned, and in tune. That’s for another podcast. In short my animals always give me a lot of insight and input when it comes to being my best.
That said, they are no marketers. They do not send the podcast to more people. They can not help me find a magazine for which to write a column.
But they can help me attract the right people to come into my life, those who know how to get more people excited to listen to my podcast. Those who know how I can pitch a great article idea to a magazine.
I will paraphrase here that when the student is ready, the opportunities arise.
My friend Kristin, the photographer of my amazing photos, invited me to come with her to a conference in New York City called She Leads.
Because I am an introvert in large groups, I asked my animals to help me connect with the best people for me and my mission. If I didn’t have some help connecting, I would hang on Kristen’s coat tail or wander around the edge of the group gathering, hoping someone would speak to me first.
So, before I headed off the hill into the big city, I stood in the pasture, asking my animals and animal consciousness to help me meet the most important people to bring my highest and best forward. So I can do the same for the animals.
Once I got to Kristen’s house, I was greeted by her two Frenchie’s. Maisie, the black and white female, is my bestie. When I stay at her house, she doesn’t leave my side. She loves that I once titled her Camp Director because she has an amazing way of organizing and leading other dogs. I have gotten into the habit of speaking with Maisie like I speak with my own animals.
Throughout the day, I mentioned to her that her person and I were heading into the city for an evening event. I mentioned that I would appreciate it if she would help us manifest meeting business people who were perfect matches for us.
When I showered to prepare for the event, Maisie laid on the bathmat. I had left the door somewhat open so Maisie could leave if she wanted to. As I was washing my hair, thinking about my 30-second elevator speech about how to introduce myself, I heard the bathroom door move. Maisie must have left, I figured. When I peeked around the shower curtain, I saw the door was now closed, and Maisie was in the center of the rug. Apparently, she had closed the door so her brother wouldn’t disturb the brainstorm we were having.
Before we headed into the city, I sat down with Maisie. I looked at her and said, “OK, we’re heading out. Thank you for helping us meet the right people for our purpose and mission.” Then we took off.
As we headed up the elevator of the apartment building in Tribeca, I noticed a man on my right leaning against the elevator wall. The only man among women. He wore a great leather jacket. Suede, cut like a denim jacket. I looked at him and said, “Love that jacket.”
He said, ‘Thank you. I like it too. It has some good ….” he wiggled around in it, …”heft to it.” That was funny.
Well, well, well. Turns out, this sued-cladded gentleman was the man I had to meet. At one point, one of the She Leads organizers introduced us more formally. I learned he's a mega podcaster, a huge brand developer, and, most importantly, an insightful and passionate human.
I drove home elated. This had only been part one. Part two was the conference the next day, where we would dive into how to bring our business into media or bring media to our business.
When we got home, Kristen’s husband told us that Maisie had sat by the door through which we had left all evening. He couldn’t entice her to join him and her brother on the sofa. She was waiting for us to come back and report. When we opened the door, she ran at us, wiggled her butt while I leaned down to her and told her, “Thank you, thank you, thank you! You did it. You already connected us with the right people. You are a magician.”
OMG, she was so excited. Her exuberance was infectious.
The next morning, I sat down with Maisie and told her, “All right, we did great yesterday. We are excited for today. Again, please help us meet the right people for everyone’s highest and best.”
Standing at the coffee bar in yet another penthouse, this time in the meat district of NYC, who but the sued-cladded guy stands next to me. I told him I couldn’t wait to hear him speak about his podcast, hoping to learn how to grow mine. While Kristen and another conference participant moved in and out of the conversation, this guy and I talked. And talked. And talked.
When the bell called that the first speaker was about to take the stage, I walked to my seat in a mental haze. There was so much new stuff, and I could not wrap my head around it all. Standing still for a moment, I noticed my body tingling, and I felt energy rising up my spine. Starting at the root Chakra, it went up and up, pushing past the mind and reaching out of my head up, up, up. My eyes started to water. Was I crying? Why was I tearing up?
Well, my friends, we must pay attention when our body speaks this loudly and clearly.
When your body tingles. When a surge of energy runs up your spine, when your eyes water because you are moved, though your head can’t quite wrap itself around it all, a turning point is ahead. A tipping point had entered your field. An opportunity to uplevel is looking at you.
I have had a few of those moments in my life. At 23, I was on a plane to NYC, not speaking the language but trusting that buzzy feeling of knowing I felt would lead me where I belonged.
In a riding arena in Tivoli, NY, watching horses help humans, seeing everyone, myself included, surrounded by golden light, and with such clarity, I would leave my advertising career behind and start working with and for animals.
I pay attention to my body because it has never led me astray. I have tried to overwrite it many times. Many, many times. But when I feel Kundalini's energy rising, I pay attention.
These visceral experiences come when we are in alignment with our mission or passion. They arise when we come into ease.
The sued-cladded guy had what I was looking for. He had the tools, he had the expertise, and most importantly, he had a way that resonated with me. He put me at ease. He knew what I needed and could help me get there.
It always goes back to ease, right?
And that’s why it is so smart to invite our animals into manifesting our highest and best.
Animals always want to feel at ease. And they want us to feel at ease.
So when we put ourselves through situations of unease, our animals say: pivot, change it, move, turn around, walk away. Because when we’re not at ease, we drain energy toward that which nags or irritates us. And that is not in our best interest.
But because your animals carry your best interest, they are your truest and best manifestors.
I give you permission. Invite them to help you. And then thank them. They love it!
When Kristen and I got home from the day-long event, Maisie greeted us. We thanked her and all the animals who had helped us make this a fun and successful day.
Maisie hopped around like crazy and didn’t leave my side as we told Kristen’s husband and the dogs about our day and the connections we had made.
Let your animal help you manifest your next best self. It’s as thrilling for them as it can be for you!
Have a delicious day! Until next time, bye, and Auf Wiedersehen!