Stories of Inspiring Joy

Leah Sefor

Leah Sefor is South Africa’s go-to life and relationships expert. With over 26 years experience, she is well known for being a straight-talking, take-no-prisoners coach, author, podcaster and speaker whose work is all about 'what it means to be real.’ Leah delivers dynamic coaching experiences, facilitating breakthroughs and giving men and women the wake up calls they need to create a non-negotiable life. Leah’s practice is based in Johannesburg, South African. She works online with individuals, couples and organizations from all over the world to show them a more authentic way of being.

In today’s episode Leah shares her journey finding joy and how she arrived at her work helping others get real - in all areas of their life - so that they can be unapologetically themselves. Everything changed for Leah after the birth of her daughter. Leah was in need of support and she found herself at a group for new moms. It was a space meant to share and connect, but everyone seemed to have it all together! When it was Leah’s turn to speak she was honest about her struggles and suddenly everyone else said “me too”. They were all in the same boat, but nobody was being honest about it. As the conversation continued there was a deep connection that happened, and the power of vulnerability that day allowed them all to be honest about how they were really doing, and the support they needed. Leah’s story will remind you that when we are authentically ourselves we create greater space for connection, support, community, and vulnerability, and inspire connection and joy.

To connect with Leah and learn more visit her website: www.leahsefor.com Twitter: @leahsefor LinkedIn: @leahsefor Instagram: @leah.sefor Facebook: @leahsefor YouTube: LeahSefor and Podcasts: The Get Real Podcast

Stories of Inspiring Joy is a production of Seek The Joy Media and created by Sydney Weiss. To learn more and submit your story, click here.

*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Stories of Inspiring Joy.

Jacquelyn Armour

Jacquelyn Armour wants to share the world through the eyes of someone who has wandered the streets of 90 countries, learning about herself and life along the way. She is someone who is curious, sees the world a little differently and loves joining the dots. She believes when your eyes and mind are open you receive more from the world. In October 2021 she published her first travel memoir, “Follow Your Joy”, on her birthday. The memoir focuses on how she lives her life by following the feeling of joy. The outcome we seek is never the destination or the goal, but is the journey we take when we do the stuff that brings us joy.

In today’s episode Jacquelyn shares the inspiration behind her new book, “Follow Your Joy”, the role of travel in finding her joy, and her decision to share what joy means to her. Jacquelyn’s mission with the book is to inspire you to find your joy. Through sharing joyful practices, such as setting intentions, being in nature, and being curious, you can learn more about yourself and life. Jacquelyn is passionate about people taking a step towards joy, however bit or small, because when you do you allow yourself to live more intentionally and return to the present moment.

To connect with Jacquelyn and learn more visit www.followyourjoy.uk and on Instagram @followyoujoy_ja and her book Follow Your Joy is available online at all large book retailers.

Stories of Inspiring Joy is a production of Seek The Joy Media and created by Sydney Weiss. To learn more and submit your story, click here.

*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Stories of Inspiring Joy.

Martel Catalano

Martel Catalano is a yoga teacher, public speaker and the founder of Beyond My Battle, a nonprofit harnessing positivity, mindfulness, and self-care to manage the stress of living with disease and disability.

When Martel was 13 years-old she was diagnosed with a rare genetic disease, Retinitis Pigmentosa, and it’s safe to say it’s had a huge impact on her life. Over the years Martel has slowly been losing her vision, and as a way to cope she disassociated from her disease. She distracted herself from the unfixable problem of blindness by creating problems that she could fix. Three years ago she realized she needed to address her illness. She saw what it was doing to her life, to her relationships, and to her body and she knew it was time for a change.

Martel’s words on reconnecting to the truth of who she is, and who she wanted to be, through yoga and mindfulness will remind you of the importance of pushing past our limiting beliefs and narratives. Her reflections on her journey, the gifts that her disease has given her, and her desire to make an impact through sharing her journey and her story will remind you that we are so much more than the battles we face. Martel is a light and her passion and desire to help others overcome their limiting beliefs around chronic illness is inspiring and needed. Sharing her story has changed her life. It’s given her the opportunity to educate and empower others to focus on what we can do, rather than what we can’t, and manage the constant anxiety that comes with living with something that we can’t simply fix.

To learn more about Martel and Beyond My Battle visit their website beyondmybattle.com and connect with Martel on Instagram @martelcatalano and @beyondmybattle

Stories of Inspiring Joy is a production of Seek The Joy Media and created by Sydney Weiss. To learn more and submit your story, click here.

*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Stories of Inspiring Joy.

Kelly T. Smith

Kelly T. Smith is a mind, body, and wellness practitioner with a certification in life coaching and hypnotherapy. She has been trained in a variety of holistic healing modalities as well, such as neurolinguistic programming, holistic nutrition, past life regression therapy, homeopathic remedies, essential oils, psychology of intuition, energy healing, and many others. Her mission in life is to help you realize your fullest potential, find your hidden gifts, and break free from limiting beliefs.

She is the author of the Intuitive Life-Coaching Oracle deck and the Guiding Light Oracle deck, available by Beyond Words Publishing. For more about Kelly T. and her work, visit: www.intuitivelifecoachingwithkellycom.

In today’s episode Kelly shares the inspiration behind her oracle card decks and the inner transformation that took place after the birth of her first child. Kelly shares the dream that opened her mind and brought her to a new awareness of who she really was, what she’s experienced in the past, and the truth that it was time to tap into her intuition. Kelly shares her own unfolding, the moment she had the courage to surrender, and how she started making choices based on her own inner guidance rather than fear. Kelly’s story is a beautiful reminder that our soul often calls out to us, if only we have the courage to listen.

To connect with Kelly and learn more visit www.intuitivelifecoachingwithkelly.com

Stories of Inspiring Joy is a production of Seek The Joy Media and created by Sydney Weiss. To learn more and submit your story, click here.

*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Stories of Inspiring Joy.

Kate Evans

Kate Evans has spent her career helping empower women to discover their inner strength. She believes we all have our own answers, yet it can be tough to access them on our own because of all the other noise. Kate is here to facilitate your self-discovery and help you create your plan for success. 

Throughout her professional and personal life, Kate has seen the power of decluttering your mind, body, soul, and space. She became a personal coach to help you discover that same power yourself. As a certified life coach with nearly two decades of experience in psychology, Kate offers you her knowledge of decluttering and organization, yoga and yogic philosophy, feng shui, people, and life. With her unique solution-focused and integrative approach to life decluttering, and your commitment to yourself, together you will create the life you deserve.

In today’s episode Kate shares her journey finding her joy, and the risks she took to follow her heart, passions, and joy. Today, Kate works with women to help them find their joy, to balance their mind, body, soul and space. As she shares, taking care of the home that you live in is a key element to peace of mind and tuning into your inner guidance. If your home is chaotic, chances are you feel chaotic too. Through exploring these areas in her life - mind, body, soul and space - Kate discovered her joy, and it’s her hope that her story will inspire you to take risks in your life too.

To connect with Kate visit her on her website www.soulfulspacecoaching.com where you can sign up for her weekly emails, read her blog, find 30-day challenges and decluttering tips, as well as, of course, sign up for coaching and Instagram @soulfulspace.coaching and via email kate@soulfulspacecoaching.com

Stories of Inspiring Joy is a production of Seek The Joy Media and created by Sydney Weiss. To learn more and submit your story, click here.

*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Stories of Inspiring Joy.

Jessie Cheng

Passionate about global entertainment and the intersection of artistry and mental health, Jessie Cheng left California’s Bay Area for Boston in pursuit of her studies in marketing and applied psychology. Her marketing experience has allowed Cheng to work directly with musical talent, thereby strengthening her dedication to creating a culture of empathy through creative storytelling. As a Chinese American woman, Cheng hopes to advance a new, diverse narrative on mental health and in penning her debut novel, Unglamored, has sparked a conversation about eating disorders within Asian communities and the entertainment industry. When not busy writing, Cheng can often be found competitively playing card games with friends or performing two a.m. solo concerts in front of her mirror.

In today’s episode Jessie shares her passion for music and the inspiration behind her book, Unglamored. As Jessie shares, what we often see on the outside is not always what goes on behind the scenes. The truth is beauty standards are unrealistic and the media distorts, everything. Jessie vulnerably opens up about her struggles with disordered eating, body dysmorphia, and an eating disorder. As Jessie shares, our struggles are valid and can be confronted. your story matters and even your pain can be turned into something that positively impacts others and changes lives. Today, it’s her hope that with her book Unglamored she can help build a culture of empathy between us and those in the public eye, and to encourage all of us to be compassionate with ourselves and others.

To connect with Jessie and learn more visit her website www.jessiejmcheng.com and @jessiejmcheng on Instagram and via email at jessiecheng.author@gmail.com

Stories of Inspiring Joy is a production of Seek The Joy Media and created by Sydney Weiss. To learn more and submit your story, click here.

*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Stories of Inspiring Joy.

Amber Jewell

Amber Jewell, LMSW is a social worker, board president of National Successful Survivor Foundation (successfulsurvivors.org), previous foster child, foster-adoptive parent, national speaker, and author of “Finding Hope: The 12 Keys to Healing Hardship, Hurt and Sorrow” [released 8/31].  

She has over 15 years of experience working with youth and families in child protective services, education and mental health services. As an educator and an advocate for promoting change for and value within people, Amber works to inspire and motivate others to grasp their own form of hope.

In today’s episode Amber shares her journey discovering joy, and coming to understand who she is. For years Amber introduced herself as anything but a foster kid. When she was 12 years old she went into foster care, and it taught her that joy isn’t situational. Joy is internal. Amber’s reflections on how we often sit in shame, fear, or grief, and cover the stories that are so impactful to us and those around us, will remind you that what we’ve experienced doesn’t define us, but it is part of our story. We can find hope and joy through life’s hardships, and Amber’s hope and belief that joy would allow her to persevere through life’s challenges is what’s sustained her. As Amber shares, there is so much joy in finding freedom from the burdens we carry, and from the emotions that we too often let influence our behaviors. Today, Amber is sharing her message of joy and resilience with others, and she’s only just beginning.

To connect with Amber and learn more visit her website www.amberjewell.org and on Facebook @amberjewellhope Instagram @ajewellspeaker Linkedin: Amber Jewell, LMSW and www.successfulsurvivors.org and via email amberjewellspeaks@gmail.com

Stories of Inspiring Joy is a production of Seek The Joy Media and created by Sydney Weiss. To learn more and submit your story, click here.

*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Stories of Inspiring Joy.

Dr. Jenelle Kim

Dr. Jenelle Kim, DACM, L.Ac., is the founder and leader formulator for JBK Wellness Labs. Dr. Kim is carrying on the medical knowledge and wisdom of her lineage. Dr. Kim is devoted to integrating the philosophy, medical wisdom, and expertise of East Asia with the advancements of modern life and medicine of the West in order to touch and positively affect the lives of others. Dr. Kim is a Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine and is Nationally Board Certified in Herbology, Oriental Medicine, and Acupuncture. Dr. Kim completed extensive training in East Asia under some of the most respected doctors in the field of Oriental Medicine and is the custodian of her lineage’s proprietary Bi Bong® formulas.

Dr. Kim’s teachings on meditation are currently available for pre-order under the title Myung Sung: The Korean Art to Living Meditation by Watkins Publishing and will be distributed by Penguin Random House in January 2022. In her book, Dr. Kim breaks down the principles of Myung Sung, offering a way to achieve a life of balance and happiness by enjoying the positive benefits of meditation every minute of every day. Dr. Kim’s unique approach to meditation combines lessons on movement and natural medicine learned from a lifetime of experience studying Eastern philosophy, Eastern medicine, and martial arts. 

In today’s episode Jenelle shares her journey tapping into the medical knowledge and wisdom of her lineage. She so beautifully speaks on how her lineage drives her work and her passion. She speaks of three pillars: medicine, meditation and movement. These three pillars have been passed down for many centuries, and it’s her belief that these pillars can empower us no matter where we are in our lives. Ultimately by incorporating the practices and principles of these pillars into your life, you’ll be able to find your own happiness, longevity, beauty, happiness, peace, and all of the things that we wish for. Early on in her career Jenelle focused solely on medicine, and as she shares, when life shows us different opportunities we have to have our eyes open. Even when it’s scary, we have to walk forward, and that’s exactly what she did. She began to focus on the second pillar, meditation. It’s her wish to share the principles of living meditation, Myung Sung. Jenelle shares her journey publishing her book, the impact of her father’s passing on her journey, the role of the pandemic, and how she’s worked to embody the third pillar of movement, by creating movement and flow in her own life. It’s Jenelle’s wish to share the wisdom that has been handed down to her through her lineage so that she can share it with the world.

To connect with Dr. Jenelle and learn more visit her website Jenellekim.com andJbkwellnesslabs.com and on Instagram @drjenellemkim TikTok @drjenellekim Twitter @JenelleMKim Facebook @drjenellemkim and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-jenelle-kim-863835175/

Stories of Inspiring Joy is a production of Seek The Joy Media and created by Sydney Weiss. To learn more and submit your story, click here.

*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Stories of Inspiring Joy.

Julia Paulette Hollenbery

Julia Paulette Hollenbery is a bodyworker, therapist, mystic, healer and facilitator. For more than 25 years she has guided countless clients into deep confidence and self-authority. She is passionate about sharing her life-long love of the mystery, real sensual relationship, and the life of the body.

In her book, The Healing Power of Pleasure: Seven Medicines for Rediscovering the Innate Joy of Being, Julia explains how how pleasure is all around us, and she explores seven easily accessible spiritual “medicines” to discover more sensual pleasure and delight in your body, relationships, and way of being.

In today’s episode Julia shares her journey writing her latest book. Throughout her life Julia has always circled around the same message. As a child she felt free to explore in nature, in the gardens, in pleasure, in delight and sensuality. She noticed the difference she felt when she was in spaces that were more confined and limited, and through exploring her own spirituality, pleasure, and sensuality Julia is opening the door for others to do the same. When Julia was a teenager she had a breakdown that began the great personal healing and transformational journey that has been her life. It’s Julia’s hope that you will enjoy and benefit from reading her new book and know that you too can heal yourself and move from difficulty into delight.

To connect with Julia visit her on her website https://universeofdeliciousness.com on Facebook @juliapaulettehollenbery Twitter @JuliaHollenbery Instagram @Julia.paulette.hollenbery and LinkedIn @Juliahollenbery

Stories of Inspiring Joy is a production of Seek The Joy Media and created by Sydney Weiss. To learn more and submit your story, click here.

*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Stories of Inspiring Joy.

Shayna Norwood

Shayna Norwood founded her company, Steel Petal Press in 2011 to share beauty and humor with the world through her collection of handmade stationery. What began as a part–time endeavor in 2008 has grown to include three presses, a paper cutter, and a small + awesome team. Together they print, package and ship each item by hand.

In this week’s new episode Shayna shares with us her journey starting her business. Shayna also so beautifully and openly shares her journey with anxiety, and the impact it’s had on her life and her business. In 2016 Shayna was dealing with the stress of the election, she had just opened up her retail shop, and so much had happened at the same time. She was still having panic attacks and having trouble going into work, and there wasn’t any way for her to step away from it. Fast forward to today, she feels much more stable and clear and she knew she wanted to share her experiences, and use Steel Petal Press as a platform to do that. She wanted to create a product that would allow her to tell her story, be useful, and impactful. 

To learn and connect with Shayna and Steel Petal Press visit her website https://www.steelpetalpress.com/ and on Facebook @steelpetalpress Instagram @steelpetalpress and Pinterest @steelpetalpress and if you’re interested in the Mental Health Trackers use code “NOTALONE” to receive 15% off!

Stories of Inspiring Joy is a production of Seek The Joy Media and created by Sydney Weiss. To learn more and submit your story, click here.

*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Stories of Inspiring Joy.