The Power of Storytelling - Episode 36
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Welcome back to The Power of Storytelling!
Kayla and Sandra - thank you for sharing your stories, your words, and your journey with all of us.
This week’s episode reminded me of the power of turning inward and trusting the voice inside that points us in the direction of our dreams, hopes, and joy. So often we question our path and our journey, we wonder how we’re going to get from point a to point b, and we look to others outside of ourselves for those answers. What we’re searching for is always within. Your joy, passion, and ideas for your businesses, creations, and services, are all within.
It’s truly been my honor to share the stories and provide the space here to share a little bit more about the women behind these words. I encourage you to check out Kayla and Sandra after you listen to this week’s new episode.
*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Seek The Joy Podcast.
Kayla Bell is the founder of Arrow + Phoenix Swimwear. Arrow + Phoenix is a black owned eco-friendly and sustainable swimwear brand based in the United States.
In today’s episode, Kayla shares her incredible journey starting Arrow + Phoenix, the inspiration behind her company and its mission, and her biggest dream. Born in New Orleans, Kayla has a strong sense of culture and she lets her travels inspire her and her collections. Her mission through Arrow + Phoenix is simple: To empower women, give back to the community, and provide creative, affordable, and comfortable swimwear that celebrates diversity, sustainability, + positivity.Created by a self proclaimed beach bum, Arrow + Phoenix Swimwear was designed for the girl who can always be found near the water. She lives life without fear and travels as much as she can. We take pride in offering pieces that are comfortable, sexy, and are supportive. Functionality is always our goal at A+P and above all else, we want you to feel like the gorgeous goddess you are whether you're laying on the beaches of St. Tropez, at a friend's pool party, or just looking to emphasize your tan lines!
At just seven years old, Kayla Bell had a love for design and a keen eye for detail that has since taken her places she could have never imagined. While in middle and high school, she found that as a petite young woman with a 38DDD bra cup size , locating a comfortable swimsuit top that wasn't made with someone else's grandmother in mind was nearly impossible, so she began creating her own. Somewhere between sporty and spirited, Arrow + Phoenix is created with fun colors, '90's influenced styles and comfortable silhouettes. Kayla decided Arrow + Phoenix would be her outlet to not only showcase her designs, but also the works of others via her blog, The Wayve.
You can usually find Kayla somewhere in a corner wearing her favorite Nike slides and a Laina Rauma bodysuit with her eyes glued to a computer researching content, working on swimwear, or seeking inspiration while on her many travels.
“I let my joy carry me the rest of the way. I’ve had so much fun creating this brand, even through the hardships that I’ve encountered over the years. It was always important to me [to follow my joy] because I always understood why I was creating the brand. It was a form of expression, and I wanted to build a brand that stood for something. I was always adamant about having a sustainable aspect to our brand, really having diversity, and having our brand known for that diversity. Not just diversity in skin color, but having models of different shapes and sizes, skin colors, and hair textures. I wanted to have representation that I didn’t see growing up, and I never wanted anyone to feel like they were excluded from our brand because of their size.”
Sandra Daniele is the Chief Wildflower behind Wish on Wildflowers -Life Enhancement Coaching for Women. Wish on Wildflowers was created as a safe space for women to fully explore the dreams they hold in their heart, uncover their truths, and show the world how beautiful and unique they are without the fear of judgement.
In addition to the one on one coaching she offers her clients, Sandra is currently working on a group coaching program for women that reviews Clarity, Connection, Confidence and Choice in their life.
In today’s episode, Sandra shares her journey from questioning her life, her self-worth, and her joy, to ultimately finding that everything she was searching for was already within. For years Sandra wondered how other women could seem so happy. She wanted confidence, happiness and to wake up with a feeling of purpose. Sandra has been on a road to rediscover who she is after leaving a 10 year marriage and losing both her parents to cancer. She knew it was time to start over and start really living her life, and that’s exactly what she did. Sandra holds her Certified Professional Coaching Certification earned through the Co-Active Training Institute(CTI). CTI is widely recognized as the most rigorous professional coach training and certification program in the industry. She is also recognized by the International Coaching Federation as a professional coach.
“What I didn’t realize when I was younger is that my happiness and uniqueness would never look like anyone else’s. Trying to be like someone else, or trying to fit in, was creating the exact opposite effect of what I truly desired. I just wanted to be me, however that showed up. I was lacking confidence and the inability to fit in because I didn’t know how. I was trying on different personalities to see what felt good, feeding and believing the labels and opinions of others for so long. it was finally when I turned inward and listened to the kind voice in my heart that I finally managed to pull away from the noise to find and showcase my true essence.”
To learn more about Sandra and Wish on Wildflowers visit her website www.wishonwildflowers.com and on Instagram @wishonwildflowers and on Facebook @wishonwildflowers and you can find her Facebook group here
To learn more about Kayla and Arrow + Phoenix visit their website https://www.arrowandphoenix.com and on Instagram @arrowandphoenixswim @iamkaylambell_ and use the code THANKYOU at checkout for a special discount.
PODCAST WELLNESS WEEK: Sydney is speaking at Podcast Wellness Week on Thursday December 30th at 10am PT!
Join Sydney in conversation with licensed clinical mental health counselor and bestselling author Richale Reed of The Power Within podcast and Amanda Meyncke of the Happiness Spells podcast as they discuss how to get happy!
This panel on positive mindset offers a fresh perspectives and tools for increasing your happiness quotient and empowering ourselves with actionable steps to feel that sense of contentment and joy in our lives.
Register for the event here by selecting FREE PASS. You can also purchase a FULL PASS for $25 to replay recordings of all the sessions at your convenience and access bonus content here!
The event also features two daily live-streamed panels discussing mental health, sleep, meditation, positive mindset, fitness and nutrition with well-known wellness podcasters, along with daily meditations. Check out the full schedule here.
The panels will be livestreamed for free on Podbean via your browser and the Podbean App.
SEEK THE JOY GUIDES: Our guides are LIVE and I couldn’t be more excited! Click here to learn more and get your hands on a little more joy in your life.
RATE & REVIEW: I’d be so grateful if you left us a rating and review on Apple iTunes or wherever it is that you love to #SeekTheJoy! When you do, take a screenshot of your review and send it to sydney@seekthejoypodcast,com and as a token of my appreciation and gratitude for your love and support, I'll send you our brand NEW and IMPROVED #SeekTheJoy Guide for Infusing More Joy into Your Life!
STORIES OF INSPIRING JOY: This series is beautiful and powerful and we want you to be part of it! To learn more and to submit your story, visit the Share Your Story section of our website. Fill out our interest form - and we'll get back to you ASAP.
JOY CORNER: Our interview-style blog series spotlighting inspiring souls, moments that bring you joy, products we love, and so much more. Join our corner of the internet - share your joys, passions, and moments of inspiration. Ready to share your light, magic and joy? Get in touch here - a new post in this series goes live on our site every Thursday.
“LESSSONS IN” SERIES: In this new series, we're sharing our reflections on life’s biggest lessons and the joys we find through these experiences - all to create greater connection and community. Every episode features a conversation that will inspire, motivate, and get you thinking- and we can't wait to grow with you. Ready to join us and share a lesson that impacted your life? Fill out our interest form here.
PATREON: We're now on PATREON!! Your support of this podcast means the world. Full of rewards and exclusive content, we can't wait to take this joy journey to the next level. Sing up to be a patron of the podcast here: patreon.com/seekthejoypodcast
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