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Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Connect with your readers: Marisa Goudy, Writing Coach

By Danielle Rose

Storyteller and writing coach, Marisa Goudy’s work is about connecting the reader to you as a business person, to your work, and most importantly to themselves and the world at large.

“I'm a writing and storytelling coach who specializes in supporting therapists, healers, and other professionals in the transformation business,” Marisa said. “My main focus is on using storytelling techniques, particularly my signature Story Triangle approach, to help writers create online content. The goal is to use stories to connect and build relationships with clients before you meet them in your office for the first time.”

Through The Story Triangle Marisa teaches that there are three essential elements of storytelling: you (the storyteller), your audience, and your story. The goal is to balance the relationship between the three. When you tell an authentic story that matters to you, while keeping the interests and needs of your reader in mind, you tell a story that connects. Such a story appeals the emotions, inspires, and changes hearts and minds.
 
“My work isn't just about helping people produce quality copy and content. I help you develop a writing practice. I believe that your writing practice wants to give you more than just another blog post... Your writing practice helps you understand yourself, your work, the people you serve, and the stories that matter to our changing world.”

Writing and storytelling coaching is not only practical, but essential for any practitioner looking to share their service with their clients, and express their message and their strengths into the world

Marisa Goudy
Offer the gift of your story to yourself or a loved one trying to forge their place in the world at a 10% discount this holiday with Marisa’s initial consultation package (normally $447, now only $409).

Looking for a way to wet your feet and see how valuable the connective power of storytelling can be for you and/or your business?  Sign up for Marisa’s e-course, “Your Stories and Your Audience,” today.

Marisa is also teaming up with the new Mind Key to offer her services as part of a business start-up package in the Mind Key Store. There’s no better way to share your story to your clients in a way that resonates than with Marisa’s guidance.


Discover Marisa





Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Healing and connecting with Jahmu Chai

By Carlie Currier

 



               
Jahmu Chai is “an instant turmeric and ginger chai tea inspired by the traditional Indonesian elixir, jamu, and the ancient Indian healing beverage, golden milk.”

Jahmu products stand alone as the world’s first instant turmeric-ginger chai tea mixes. The company, a public benefit company, aims to spread the awareness and availability of turmeric, ginger, and other healing foods through their turmeric ginger spice blends and tea mixes. It’s not only been highly acclaimed as a powerful anti-inflammatory, but its creator, Jessica Filkins, hopes to improve lives by making the conscious consumption of jamu part of a daily routine.
The origins of Jahmu PBC began in Jessica’s post-college years when she suffered from digestive problems from too many antibiotics. In 2012, she discovered jamu while attending yoga teacher training in Indonesia. Although it was always made from a blender mixture of raw ginger, turmeric, raw egg and honey, every woman she encountered seemed to make it differently, and each batch tasted different as well. Jessica discovered that the common denominator in every batch of jamu was the distinct bright orange color and how it eased her stomach pain.
    

Jessica Filkins, founder and owner of Jahmu Chai
When Jessica returned to the United States, she studied as a health coach at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, and worked at a health co-op in Wakefield. She wished to continue making the signature drink for herself but had trouble finding raw turmeric. Instead, she created a new blend with powdered turmeric and almond milk. She began sharing it with coworkers and family, especially her grandmother who, with the addition of the drink to her diet, claims to be cured of all stomach pain.
“I never measured and it always came out the same. Things like fenugreek were just added because I felt they needed to be there, and then I realized their health benefits later”, Jessica explains.
According to Jessica, much of her ideas come through intuition. She was called to sell her recipe alongside other spices at Block Island farmers markets that summer. This blend she made with raw turmeric to create a ginger-like lemonade people loved. She found the easiest way to package the mixture was in Ziploc bags, which explains the unique packaging that the company uses today.  

Soon after, Jessica continued to follow her intuition to start Jahmu Chai in 2014. Her brother recognized the potential and became her business partner, advising her to create a public private corporation. They managed to raise $5,000 through Kickstarter, which really helped spread the word.
Jahmu Chai caters to customers suffering from a variety of different ailments. It has received some very strong testimonials, from people claiming it helps with Lyme’s disease, completely diminishes arthritis in hands and encourages better sleep. Jessica even performs reiki on every batch.
“Instead of just a supplement, you have to take the time to drink a whole cup of it, so you have this conscious connection,” Jessica states.
This speaks to the placebo effect and power of intention in Jahmu’s success, Jessica said.
Jahmu is a healing and flavorful tea that offers connection to one’s own body and self, and connection with others when shared amongst friends. The reiki Jessica performs on every batch amplifies this and Jahmu’s other healing effects.  Speaking with anyone in Jessica’s company compounds this connection, as they are all down-to-earth individuals who are interested in their customer's experiences and the world at large. Consider Jahmu a beautiful and healthy gift idea this season.
Jessica has recorded some guided “tea meditations” to listen to while drinking a cup of tea, coffee, or warm water. She claims they help her feel more focused throughout the day, and remind her to eat, drink, and speak more mindfully. She plans to offer these recordings so that they can be available for anyone to use to provide a sacred moment to every morning, whether or not they're drinking Jahmu.

Jahmu’s four proprietary varieties include Jahmu Chai with Caffeine, Caffeine free Jahmu Chai, Sweet Jahmu Chai, and Golden Milk. They also offer Matchai, Jahmu with organic macha green tea, and Jahmu Cocoa, a chocolate chai mix.

Looking for a great holiday gift idea? Check out the Jahmu Chai Sampler Pack, complete with samples of each tea mix (31 servings in all).


The Jahmu Chai Grand Sampler is also available. Includes four resealable stand-up pouches of each type (144 servings of tea in total!). Save $10 off normal pricing and get free First Class Mail Shipping).


Jahmu also has a monthly shipment club, which is not only a great gift idea, but allows for additional saves. The first shipment of a jar of tea. Then, once a month, you get a packet of tea to refill the jar. Club members also receive many free samples to enjoy or share with friends. Membership starts at $15/month and can be cancelled at any time. Membership saves you about 25% off the normal price of the tea plus you get free shipping. Click here to learn more and sign up.

Jahmu is also teaming up with Mind Key to provide even deeper discounts. Receive 10% off any order over $25 (including the first charge for the monthly shipment club) by typing “MINDKEY” in the coupon box. This discount is good until the end of the year. Regular (three-day) shipping includes anything in stock, and priority is shipped out by end of the next business day.  


Discover Jahmu PBC
401-294-1480
Instagram: @jahmu_pbc

Monday, December 12, 2016

Wear your best health: Amy Cousin Jewelry


Crystal Herkimer Chakra collection by Amy Cousin Jewelry
It is my great honor to write about my close friend and artisan, Amy Cousin Jewelry. Amy has been a jewelry wire artist for some time now, skillfully wrapping semi precious stones using gold, silver, and copper wire into pieces of therapeutic, wearable art.

Amy began with what she describes as an "extreme affinity for creative endeavors." She realized many years ago that she required a creative outlet that worked with her particular time restraints.

"I was always looking for a physical point of focus to help me ground amidst chaos in my life," Amy said. "I found gemstone energy to be so important: tap into it, and it will carry you through, but it won't do the work for you."

Amy incorporates the meditative action of bending wire and working with stones and crystals in the creation of her jewelry. This energy, combined with that of the stones offers the wearer a means of working through all levels of abuse and bullying: physical, sexual, emotional, verbal.

Amy's jewelry has a lack of mainstream vibe. All of Amy’s pieces are all either custom made or limited edition runs.

"I don't have a large and cohesive collection that is easily identifiable,” Amy said. “I don't follow fashion trends and I don't guarantee a large collection of the same items--not right now, at least..."

Lisa's Italy necklace, custom made for her by Amy Cousin
I have worn Amy's jewelry almost daily since we met about 12 years ago. Before I took a powerful and life-changing trip to Italy about nine years ago, I spoke with Amy about where I was in my life.  Certain stones resonated with her as I spoke, and she used stones that called to those stories to create a stunning personalized necklace. She sent this beautiful, therapeutic necklace overnight to ensure that I would get it in time, and I wore it every day of my trip. True to Amy's description, the stones facilitated the shift I was experiencing. From my perspective, the necklace from Amy was prescriptive. I consider Amy one of my practitioners--she taps into my energy and makes a lovely piece of wearable art that is also therapeutic for me in my moment of need.

"I listen to the person, the stones and the metals,” Amy said. “and I create whatever is the right piece to create."

A recent trend at Amy Cousin Jewelry is flowing with the integration, grounding and alignment of feminine and masculine energies within each one of us.

"The gems are saying address the feminine/masculine energy as it relates to women,” Amy said. “I have heard them say to address men as well, so I got some fantastic stones that are suitable for both sexes. I am really feeling that now is the time for women to connect with gemstones that vibrate more on the masculine spectrum--pyrite, lapis lazuli, labradorite, and onyx keep calling me for women. We have the feminine energy mastered, mostly. So now it is time to tap into the masculine energies and use them in our feminine way. That's the message."

The  Mind Key Etsy Shop now proudly sells a number of Amy's limited-edition, pre-made pieces of beautiful and therapeutic jewelry.  Visit www.amycousinjewelry.com to discover even more of her work, or contact Amy directly at amy@amycousinjewelry.com  and tell her what is on deck  at this moment. Amy will take that information and interpret it into your choice of earrings, bracelet or necklace, within your stated budget, that will help you more effectively navigate the issues at hand for you in your life.

Crystal Egg in Apatite
The custom process is quite simple.  Amy will ask a few questions, then dig deeper, discovering the energy, feel and colors that works best for you, or your loved one. Having the right design and color scheme to make the piece wearable for the owner is just as important as the inherent energy of the stones.

“I can find stones that are in the range of stones of what they feel comfortable wearing,” Amy said. “Energy is energy, and sometimes there is a color association but it doesn’t always have to be that way.”

Once the stones are decided, Amy sends some design ideas and combinations, as well as an estimated payment, half of which is due prior to beginning work to cover the cost of materials. Throughout the entire process, Amy sends pictures of the work being completed, and is open to design changes as well.  When the piece is completed, Amy will send it with a detailed description of each stone, and how their energies are connected to the individual for whom the piece was made.
Discover these Amy Cousin originals in the Mind Key Store:

Crystal Herkimer Chakra collection is featured above. Find each chakra pendant in the Mind Key store:

The 6th Chakra pendant and full, discounted collection are coming soon... sign up for our newsletter and be the first to know when they become available.

 Discover Amy Cousin Jewelry

facebook.com/AmyCousinJewelry
twitter.com/AmyCJewelry
instagram.com/amycousinjewelry

Friday, December 9, 2016

Elisabeth Ladwig on Science, Nature and Magic

When Life Hands You Lemons
By Carlie Currier

Elisabeth Ladwig is a conceptual photographer, or photographic artist. Her artwork, often mistaken for paintings, are created from original photographs. Elisabeth began as a graphic designer then later merged her career with her interest in collage art. The subject matter is a manifestation of her interpretations of the world through both observation and study.

“Since childhood, I have pretty much synonymized science, nature, and magic,” Elisabeth said. “But what I noticed early on is that, out in society, all the mystery seems to get stripped away once we've found a hard algorithm for something. This always made me sad. I want to view the world with fascination and wonder, so my hope is that my art inspires others to make a habit of seeing just how incredible the world is.”

Elisabeth claims to do things backwards, in the sense that she won’t take an idea or personal experience and create a piece of art about it. Instead, the visual idea for the artwork comes first. Only after she has started working on it, and often not until it’s completed, is she able to sit back and analyze the significance.


 “I let the art tell the stories. Of course, what I see isn’t always what someone else sees. Everyone will find a different story, and that’s what I love about it.

 Her top selling piece, Once Upon a Time is featured in the Nov-Dec issue of Spirituality & Health magazine. Other fan favorites in her portfolio include, “When Life Hands You Lemons”, “Walk with Me”, “Underhill Road”, and “End of the Earth”. She attributes their popularity to the sense of joy that they bring out in people, in a world where joy often gets left behind to collect dust. “Catching the Light”, “The Writer”, and the “Dryad of Nurture” are also artworks that get regular attention. ”

 Elisabeth’s pieces make great gifts, and come in various size prints.  The beauty of her work is that it fosters a sense of intrigue and mystery about the world, strengthening the connection we each have with nature, with others, and with ourselves.



Gift
Although she doesn’t have a personal favorite, she’s drawn to her more still, quiet pieces, such as “Gift”, “Kingdom of Old”, “Healing”, and “Permission”.  

“There is a mystery in [my art’s] stillness that is awe-inspiring to me, like an ancient wisdom whispering so softly that your only choice is to become equally still yourself,” Elisabeth said. “We don’t listen much these days. Listening and observing from a curious place – and using all of our senses to do so – is a wonderful exercise to stay connected. It’s one thing to go out and observe Nature from an outsider’s perspective; it’s quite another to really allow yourself to become part of what you’re observing, to feel immersed in and compassionate about the bigger picture.”


Dryad of Kinship
Many of her pieces like, The Chakras, No More Games, Fly, The Caged Bird, The Dryad of Self-Empowerment, and Where the Wind Blows, are just some that touch on the idea of making conscious choices to shift our perception, inviting us to see beyond the superficial walls we’ve built around ourselves so that we might embrace a happier life. 
Both Dryad of Death and Rebirth, and Dryad of Renewal were included in Mind Key's second, full-color, glossy anthology, Yin and Yang: The Duality of Balance, a great gift idea for anyone looking to venture on the path of intrigue and self discovery.

“Thing is, we don’t have to know how we'll get there,” Elisabeth said. “All we need to figure out is the first step... then the next, and the next… eventually, you get into a rhythm and the path becomes clearer.”


Her exceptional artwork, “The Dryad of Kinship,” merges with Mind Key’s December theme of staying connected with others, and those they love.

Although Elisabeth typically requires 2 to 3 weeks for delivery of unframed pieces and longer for framed pieces, if ordered early enough, in-stock pieces can be delivered by Christmas for a fabulous and connected gift idea.  Visit her website www.elisabethonearth.com to see all of her art, exhibitions, and to purchase.




Catching the Light
The Writer

Discover Elisabeth on Earth

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Great American Novel Package - Deconstructed

Yesterday's Great American Novel Package blog talked about the services the package can provide.  Today, we want to tell you about all of the resources we have to support your journey!

Danielle is a long-time author and journalist.  She has edited several large-scale, and many small-scale publications, and has completely compiled the Mind Key Anthologies of art and writing (www.mindkey.me/anthology).  She has the experience and dedication needed to provide feedback for nonfiction work, as well as a passion for characters, and for weaving stories that reflect current social and philosophical issues. She will focus on not only your story, but your sentence structure, your organization and chronology, as well as the emotional aspect of your characters, and the beauty and depth of your settings. There’s no better editor suited to helping you build the framework needed to complete a story that sells.  Her expertise in creating platforms and selling ideas makes her a valuable asset for crafting a query letter, and marketing plan that any publisher will love, and that any self-published author needs to succeed through her consulting services.

Audrey is a career copy-editor who has worked with big-name publishers such as Pearson Education and Prentice Hall, as well as on a freelance basis.  She takes great pride in her work, and will ensure that every comma, hyphen, and apostrophe are where they belong.  She will research word usage and phrases to ensure yours are correct, as well as provide insight to structure and style if desired.  Any novel that will be submitted to an agent or self-published needs copyediting, and Audrey’s exacting eye, combined with her easy-going, fun-loving nature makes her the perfect editor to pick apart your grammar with love, care, and an eye for vibrancy.
 
As a mother, accountant, and editor, Charla will get to the nitty-gritty, show you where your story is weak, and how to strengthen it, whether examining basic descriptions, plot twists, or flow between chapters and scenes. Charla will examine your work down to the micro-level, helping you rework weak scenes, paragraphs and sentences so that your story doesn’t sound stilted, awkward, or uncertain. She takes pride in the English language, and will help you polish your prose to shine properly and poetically.  

Writing is Tamara’s expression of her soul. Her fantasy pieces are woven around the magic and mystery of life itself, and her nonfiction tackles the emotional side of humanity in a way that is both understanding and scientific. She can help you bring that emotion to life in a way that will engage and connect your reader with your characters and your storyline. She will help you create descriptions needed to not only draw the reader in, but keep them there, while accurately recalling past scenes and plot holes that need filling/resolving in order to complete your finished novel.

A storyteller by nature, Rebecca understands the deeper concepts of humanity, and how these basic characteristics reflect in characters and archetypes.  In her own writing, she is an exceptional world-builder, continually adding layer upon layer to create multi-dimensional interactions that speak to the heart, mind and soul. As an editor, Rebecca will pinpoint where your story is lacking the depth needed to pull together your themes and storyline. She will help round out characters, build mystique, and keep your readers turning page after page in anticipation of the end. Rebecca will help you walk on the dark side in a way that is enticing and very real.

Novels are a way to connect with yourself and the world around you.  Help a budding novelist get their work out into the world by providing connection to themselves and others with this invaluable author-centric package.

Gift certificates come via mail and/or email for you to present to your loved one.  On them is a coupon code that is applicable for use purchasing the service online.  If you have any questions, please contact danielle@mindkey.me Order today and get a 25% discount our Great American Novel package!  That’s over $1,000 in savings!

Mind Key’s mission is to provide the tools and resources for people to be their happiest, healthiest self, and ultimately do what they love in each moment.  How can these services help people on this journey?
 

 

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

The Great American Novel Package


 
Are you a writer who has written a book? A series of published or publishable essays?  Maybe you have just finished yet another year of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) this November.
 
In today’s day and age, a book is not a project to be completed alone.  Long gone are the days when a finished, or partly finished, book could be sent to an editor or an agent. Today, the publishing industry has become more discerning. Whether in the realm of fiction or nonfiction, the industry expects a clean, well-thought out, deeply woven manuscript with marketing potential, and an author driven to make sales. Those who choose to self-publish are not exempt from these rules. Before any manuscript can be given consideration for publication it must have a full team of eyes on it: Editors, copy editors, readers, writers, even marketing and graphic design is essential.
 
Our team of editors are voracious readers and can provide your manuscript with valuable feedback. Whether a fiction or nonfiction, we will read your entire manuscript (not just sections, like some editors) and provide edits indicating places where your story needs strengthening, has plot holes, is lacking depth and/or has inconsistencies. We will also discuss chapters that may need reworking or additional information/areas that require more depth, as well as those that are too lengthy. For creative nonfiction or fiction, story editors point out strengths so they can be incorporated more fully into the next round of edits. We even offer query and marketing assistance as well as graphic design services.
 
Our manuscript editing services, or Great American Novel Package (what we like to call our manuscript editing services on steroids), are the perfect gift for the writer in your life.  Our services are extremely competitive compared to other editing and copyediting services, and we come from a place of extreme dedication to helping the most creative and dedicated authors fulfill their dream of publication.  What better gift to give this holiday season, than the one of a dream accomplished?
Our Novel Editing services are perfect for anyone who is writing, or has finished a novel they want to see the light of day.  Know someone who won National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)? Consider one of our services as a way to show them how much you support them, and believe in their work and their ability to succeed as a published author.
 
Novel editing services are completed by the editor best suited to your style, genre, and individual need.  As the head editor, and liaison with you on this package, Danielle Rose has worked with all of Mind Key’s editors quite closely, and is skilled at making the matches necessary to give your work the support it needs to get published.
 
Want to know who you might be working with?  Editors can often be accommodated upon request depending on content and availability.

Click here to read about the people and resources included in this awesome package!

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