Episode #23
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I am really looking forward to sharing with you episode #23 and some of the key things I got out of my time with Eowyn Levene, of Plumtree Money. We covered, money mindest and powerful pivots when life has a way of just happening.
Eowyn is a money mentor massage therapist and a watermelon enthusiast with 12 plus years of small business administration under her belt. Eowyn Is on a mission to help creatives build lasting financial stability that frees them up to do creative work without hustling anxiously for that next dollar when she's not geeking out about money, Eowyn enjoys running knitting long hikes and of course watermelon.
Some of the key takeaways from the show include:Sometimes we need to allow ourselves to grieve and let go of what could have been because life may have a different plan for you.
That whilst we don't always have control of what is happening externally, we do have control of our mindset and how we can view things, how we can reframe things and how we can show up and totally embrace, what life is presenting to us in a way that allows us to take hold of the reins.
I loved how Eowyn uses pen and paper when she approaches helping people navigate money, mindset and management, and how neurologically something is happening when we allow the pen to flow.
When something needs to change in our mind or body, our body has a way of whispering to us and giving us clues.
When we go through traumatic events, we build up resilience, and if we choose to see it, we can learn almost to transcend difficult situations and trust that everything will always be okay.
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Full Transcript
Beth: Everybody welcome to episode 23 of the Visualise You podcast. I'm your host Beth Hewitt. And before we head into today's episode, just a very quick reminder that I have opened my diary for clarity calls. So if you are looking for a coach right now. Maybe you’re not sure whether coaching is right for you. Check out my 30-minute clarity call. We can spend some time together. We can get really clear on what your goals and aspirations are, and then we can develop a plan together.
So check out that it's completely free and I've opened up my diary for the next couple of weeks, just for clarity calls. So please do take advantage of that.
Also, I will be relaunching the gratitude journey very shortly. Hopefully, I'll get that live next week and you can take advantage of being part of an amazing community during March, just like we did in December, really looking forward to getting started again.
Today's episode is with my good friend, Eowyn Levine. Eowyn was somebody who I met last year during the summer, when I was doing a podcast accelerator, we became good friends, and we were supporting one another to help grow our podcast along with many other podcast friends that I have right now. And then I interviewed Eowyn back in the summer last year, when we were both starting out on our podcast journeys.
and Eowyn shares how she has had to pivot during key world events during pandemic, during the recession of 2008.
And we talk about her life and how that resilience of going through events. Such as that has allowed her to really weather many storms, um, with calmer and just knowing that we can I get through with these times we're going to get through this turmoil, this event, whatever is happening in our life.
So I hope you enjoy this one.
And I'll speak to you again right after the show.
Welcome everybody to this episode of Visualise You I'm joined today by Eowyn Levine. Welcome to the podcast.
Thank you so much. It's a privilege to be here.
So Eowyn is a money mentor massage therapist and a watermelon enthusiast with 12 plus years of small business administration under her belt. Eowyn Is on a mission to help creatives build lasting financial stability that frees them up to do creative work without hustling anxiously for that next dollar, when she's not geeking out about money, Eowyn enjoys running knitting long hikes.
Of course watermelon again and perfectly scrambled eggs. I haven't had scrambled eggs for ages. I was thinking about that before, when I when I read that,
Eowyn: Oh, wow. I had them for breakfast this morning.
Beth: I should have them more, I should invest more, more in eggs. So thank you for being here today. Tell us a little bit about your journey so far, how you ended up doing what it is that you do today.
Eowyn: So like you I've been a career magpie and had so many diverse experiences. There are, of course, some threads that follow through. So I actually wanted to be a farmer when I grew up. So I went to college for liberal arts here in the States I grew up in England, was born in the States and came back to the States for my university education and did liberal arts and partway through that had an experience where I spent some time growing vegetables and it changed my life and I fell in love and I, for the next four or five years in my twenties was really devoted to learning regenerative, agriculture and intending to become a farmer. And yeah, I know nothing to do with massage or what to do with money, mentoring and coaching.
So that. has been a long-time passion for me. So I'm 43 now. So that was always there in the background. And then life had, yeah. Life had other plans. So. I've gone through multiple pivots and they've largely been about external life events and world events such as the great recession or the pandemic but then also personal health.
So it was personal health that really put the brakes on my farming aspirations. And I had a really bad back injury and had to sort of reassess and that was when I started getting interested in business and especially small business and what it is to run a small business. And that had been in the back of my mind when I was learning to be a farmer.
And I was always interested in, you know, how do you make a living? How do you succeed financially while growing food in a way that doesn't just destroy the land that you're using to grow food? So that was a real, just a real area of interest and excitement for me. Um, how to combine sustainability and economics.
Beth: And where does that passion for farming originate from?
Eowyn: Yeah. So. It's a combination of things. I mean, it was just an experience inside of me of what it was like to just be outdoors, growing food for people. And. It's like it woke something up in me. Like there was just an excitement and a love and an interest and curiosity, like all of those things came together.
So it was sort of a realization in the experience of itself. I didn't choose it for myself. I chose volunteer service and a community for special needs people. And within the context of that work, that was in a summer during my time at university. And the context of that work, they stuck me in the garden as part of my volunteer service.
Having said that though, when I was a kid, my parents always grew food. So when I was three years old, they had me out in the garden putting seeds in the ground. And then as a teenager, I was sort of hauled out to the garden with less interest to sort of pick some beans and weed some lettuce. So it was always there, but I didn't have that spark and that interest and that love for it.
That sort of came a bit later on. But yeah, it was an internal experience of, Oh wow, what's this.
Beth: So that was your passion. That was your drive and that's where you wanted to head. But then, and then you say how'd this injury.
Eowyn: Yeah.
Beth: Did that completely change in a moment the direction as to where you're heading next.
Eowyn: It was gradual in the sense that I was ignoring myself massively and pushing through what was a growing injury. And as a massage therapist, if I knew what I know now, I never would have gotten to the place that ended my farming career, but that's how life goes. Right. And so it was gradual. It came on gradually, but I wasn't taking care of my body in the way that would have been necessary to manage what was going on.
And so I did reach a point. It was just a hard stop where I was in so much pain that I just, I gave up on the apprenticeship that I was doing and had to step away. I couldn't walk for two months. It was like this. Big dramatic moment in my life where my body was like, Hey, you haven't been listening to me.
So welcome to your new reality. And yeah, so it was, it was both, it came on slowly. The injury itself came on slowly and then there was also this harsh moment where it was just like, okay, we've got other plans for you.
Beth: And I think that happens to so many of us, doesn't it? whether it's a physical body or our mind, eventually, if we don’t, start listening to those whispers and things, then it just hits us upside the head one day.
Eowyn: Absolutely. And I feel like that's so much of what inner work is, is just learning to get quiet enough, to listen to those little voices and to acknowledge your needs and acknowledge your weaknesses. Honestly, for me, a huge part of it was I didn't want to be weak. I didn't want to have to take a break.
I didn't want to renege on what I felt like were my responsibilities and the commitments I'd made to show up and help in the context that I was learning. I put all of that before. My own physical wellbeing and yeah, I just wasn't, I wasn't listening. I was being very sort of driven and pigheaded, you know, and, um, and that's come up a couple of times.
It's definitely a lesson that I'm learning over time.
Beth: So, how do you navigate from that point then? So you'd obviously got these dreams to go down this particular path, and now you can't physically do that. How, how does that transform you and how do you move away from that? Is that a gradual process or did you have to, was there something else you could naturally see yourself falling into or, I mean, how did that play out for you?
Eowyn: Yeah. So I think it was a combination of two things. One is sort of a grieving process and a letting go process. And just saying that it is what it is, and it's not what I wanted, but just learning to let go on a certain level. So that was part of it. And then just again, following some of my curiosity and my interest.
So I was given an opportunity to work with my father's company, actually, which is at the time it was a B2B physical product company in the children's gift industry. And I had worked there on and off just to make some extra cash. And when everything came crashing down, uh, because of my back injury, you know, I asked him if there was some extra work, so I could just get back on my feet.
And he was like, no, but if you're interested in really getting involved, then you could really work for the company and. Do more than just, you know, admin and bookkeeping and that sort of thing, which is what I'd been doing previously. And it was that spark again, of that interest in how you run a company that is true to certain principles, but also is financially successful.
So my father runs his company in that way as well. My father he's been very involved in the arts for all his life and his companies have always funded the arts work that he's done. So it's a similar model where he's using the economic activity to build capital that he then uses for his nonprofit work.
So we have different areas of interest for him. It's the arts for me, it's very much environmental sustainability. And how do we grow food and work with nature in a sustainable way. Um, but a similar principle and so I got curious about what it would look like to work in the company and really learn how it functions and grow in that way. And so that was the spark that led me on to working with the company.
Beth: And how, how did you find working with your family? Cause I worked with my mom before and it does have its own. Yeah, it does have its own kind of little things that come with it. Doesn't it. So was anything as part of that. I experienced that with a blessing or a curse, perhaps?
Eowyn: Yeah. both. I think the blessing comes in that he innately trusted me, and he knew my skillset and my strengths. And so there's some freedom that comes with that. And, um, but yeah, totally challenging because you get triggered in a way that you wouldn't in a regular. Professional context, right? Yeah, exactly.
And so, but I have to say, I mean, it, I learnt so much and it was a great experience, and I wouldn't trade it, but absolutely. Yeah. There were challenges. Yeah.
Beth: And did your mom play part of that business as well?
Eowyn: She definitely helped out. So at the beginning of that company, uh, it grew very rapidly. And so there was a lot of sweat equity. There was a lot of time just in the garage, packing boxes and doing whatever needed to be done. And even before I worked there, full-time when I was doing farming. So we were all in Northern California at that point.
And we all pitched in as needed because it was growing so quickly. So she did help out. absolutely. But more as a family member, um, than as an employee of the company. Yeah. Yeah. She was teaching and, uh, doing, doing other community work as well.
Beth: And the reason why I asked that, because obviously you do a lot of money mindset kind of work with the clients that you work with. And I always wonder about how our parents play into how we live our lives as an adult, from a money point of view. Um, so I think it must have been quite nice having that entrepreneurial and your dad who's obviously already got that business that must've been quite helpful I certainly find it interesting that those dynamics are parents play in children's lives. And how that manifests later down the line. Do you see that in any of the work that you do?
Eowyn: Definitely. Yeah. In two major ways. I mean, for the work with my clients, no doubt, like the, the imprints that we grow up with, they just impact the decisions that we have. You know, often we have innate strengths that come with how we grew up and then we have challenges, or we have things that we're actively trying to avoid, and that informs our choices as an adult.
Um, so there's no question that it influences, and you know, for me, I definitely. I don't think twice before jumping into something new, I trust I can figure it out. So those aspects of being an entrepreneur, but I also grew up around a lot of chaos with money. And so a lot of my work has been learning to build systems and create stability around money.
And that's, that's my version of reacting to what I grew up with is wanting things to be different and wanting them to be more stable and cohesive. And so I've actively sought that out for myself. And it's in that process that I've learned the skills and the systems that I share with others.
Beth: And do you think it just comes with the territory of creatives are naturally more, a bit messier and ideas and all these kinds of things going on.
And therefore really have the structures in place
Eowyn: Mm. Yeah, I do. I do think that's part of it. I think generally people become artists, creatives, healers, um, these kinds of professions, they choose them out of an altruistic impulse or a love of what they do or a wish to be creative and express certain parts of themselves. So it's very different than going into a career with money and, you know, a professional trajectory in mind and often they tend to be self-employed rather than be in a corporate position or working for a company and being self-employed is implicitly more chaotic than working for a job. And I think also often, especially if you're in the arts or creative, that even though you, have to make a living and you have to run your business, it's sort of reluctantly, you know, And the money side of things is sort of treated as a necessary evil and often people in these professions, they tend to be left leaning, and there's very specific ideas about capitalism and the implications of it.
And that gets conflated with handling one's own money. You know, there's a rejection of what they see as the evils of capitalism and the evils of too much money. And that impacts how they do things in their everyday lives. And so I think there's a lot of things that play in. Yeah.
Beth: So interesting. So let's go back. So obviously you're now working within your dad's company. How then do you get to become a massage therapist., how do you get there?
Eowyn: Yeah, so once again, like greater world events. So this is when the great recession happened. So essentially what happened is I trained in the company for a year. I moved to Amsterdam with the intention of managing the European expansion of the business, which was based here in the States. And that was all very exciting, but I moved there in 2008.
And so within six months, the whole market started to contract, you know, especially the gift industry. And, um, you know, when people are strapped for cash, the last thing they're doing is buying sweet, old music boxes for their kids. I mean, there’s more to be said there it's not a hundred percent true, but generally the market was contracting.
And so it got to the point where it just wasn't sustainable to have me over there. It was no longer necessary. I had. You know, developed the relationship with the reps and the clients and the warehouse, like all the systems was set up. And so it really wasn't worth the cost of having me over there anymore for the company.
And he went through a massive restructuring to figure out how to survive through the recession in 2009. So essentially my job ended. And so I was there sitting there again, just being like, Hey, now what do I do with myself? You know? And I. I actually had a dream, and it was a strong sort of visual, which I know you'll appreciate.
So I had a vision of a rural community that was a wellness community, but also a place focused around working with nature again. So that theme and I had been interested in massage and holistic health for a long time.
And yeah, so my vision was a residential community of some sort where people could come together and take care of themselves, take time away from everyday life and just be. So that was my vision and my way of working towards that vision was to go back to school. So I did the health coach training for Institute of integrative nutrition, me and 300 million other people.
And I went to massage school and I did that here in New York city. I did both things here in New York city. So yeah, I moved, and I went back to school and I worked my way through school by doing administration accounts, receivable management, bookkeeping for a few different companies. So again, sort of building my small business management skills on the side.
yeah, that was my pivot. And always led along by this vision, but then. Got really busy learning how to be a massage therapist and run my own business really for the first time. So I had freelanced previously, you know, doing bookkeeping and, and business management, but that's very different than running your own business and managing a private massage practice is definitely running your own business. So I got pretty busy doing that. Uh,
Beth: It's interesting. What you say about actually, when you sometimes make these pivots, whenever we make these pivots that you can do it alongside other things. So you obviously were doing the freelancing to keep.
Eowyn: Yeah.
Beth: coming in and be able to do that. Cause I think sometimes people think, Oh, I have to do I have to go all in, or I have to go dip my toe in a little bit.
And I think, I think it's different for everybody isn't it. But, um, I think it certainly gives us stability. Um, and I don't think there is that template for everybody to follow. I think it just depends on looking at your skills and experiences and seeing how that can support you during a particular time.
Eowyn: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. You make it work. You look at what's available to you and you figure things out. Yeah, absolutely.
Beth: And so this vision that you had for this community, did that play out how you thought it would or was it almost like a means to get you to where you're going next kind of thing.
Eowyn: Yeah. Again, I think it was both. So it's still there in the background for me know it's changed. The vision has changed, but there are definitely similar features. But I think I needed it to help me move forward. Um, and to help me have the courage to go back to school and try something new, it gave me something to be excited about and to move towards.
And yeah, it's still there. I mean, there have been some major ups and downs in between. So during my massage practice one, I lost my mother to cancer and she and I were very close. So that was something that really knocked me off my feet for a while. And then I went through my own health crisis. So I'd had chronic illness for a long time.
And in 2016, I went through a major health crisis of myself that ended up in my own, very own special cancer diagnosis. So I had major surgery and had to quit my massage practice for a while. So all the drama, I bring all the drama when possible. And so. The vision sort of faded into the background as I just coped with what life threw at me, you know?
And so I feel while I wouldn't wish the damage of the pandemic on anybody being forced to quit. My massage practices this year has given me a lot of time and space to just rest and reconnect with what I want and what I'm moving towards. And I feel like 2020 has offered me the chance to sort of reignite that spark and connect again with that vision in a way that I hadn't been able to previously, I'd just been, just been coping with life, you know?
Yeah, I think for all of the bad things that have come in 2020, I think it has allowed people to stop and reset the button and think about actually, what, what are the things that I, I do want to be doing from now on? And that's the positive
and it's a huge privilege. Obviously. There are so many people who haven't had that space as a result of the pandemic. Things have gotten so much harder for them. Yeah. So I've really appreciated that.
Obviously within the pandemic, then you can't do, you can't do massage. You can't do the things. So like everybody just came to a whole, all of a sudden, is it just literally overnight? Like everybody else.
And again, in such a dramatic fashion, because I live in New York city and so. The virus just raged, you know, there was sort of three places where it was really awful at the beginning. There was Italy. I mean, China obviously, but in terms of, uh, Europe and the States, um, there was. Italy Spain and the U.S. specifically in New York.
So March, April, may here were very intense and very difficult and they shut everything down and, yeah, it was only the beginning of July that massage could start again. And it took me a couple of months to really feel ready to go back into it. Yeah.
Beth: So once again, something's happened that you weren't expecting, there's a theme coming.
Eowyn: I know. Yes.
Beth: and so has there been a life lesson then throughout all of these times that have allowed you, so it should. Anything God forbid happen again, that puts you in that position, but you feel there's some kind of life lesson that has come out throughout all of these various pivots.
Eowyn: Yeah, I think anytime you go through something difficult or you go through something where you just, you lose your perceived control of your life, you know, I do genuinely believe that any control that we think we have in life is to do with perception more than anything. I think everything that we experience in life as a gift I think it challenges you to really trust the universe and trust your community, trust your strength and your resilience. Trust that you can go through sorrow and discomfort and come out the other side of it. So you experience that over and over again, then you learn there's a certain equanimity that's available to you.
So when I went through my cancer diagnosis in 2016, there were a couple of moments where my husband was concerned about my lack of reaction. Like it was as if I was being too competent or too calm or something. And I understand that he was expecting more of a breakdown on my part, but. I feel like when you go through these, these massive dramatic periods in your life, you do gain a certain ability to float and just be, and cope with what you need to cope with, because you've done that already.
Beth: Uh, I, uh, I feel the same about resilience as well. Um, and I've questioned myself sometimes because I've thought, is that a natural reaction?
I think when you've been through things and you you've come through things multiple times, your resilience factor gets so much stronger and it is almost like it's not like you're bulletproof or anything, but you certainly feel like, well, I've, I've weathered this storm.
Eowyn: Yeah. Yeah.
Beth: to be okay, this is happening for a reason. And I think there's something about leaning into that. Like you said about trust in the universe and just leaning in and surrendering, almost offering it open and, and, you know, some things are not within our control and I think we need to be okay with that sometimes.
And just trust that it will be okay.
Eowyn: Absolutely. And I think it's also an opportunity to realize that we choose how we experience things as well. So our degree of happiness and contentment and inspiration. And all of it is not only due to outside circumstances. It's about what we choose for ourselves and the intentions that we put forward and how we navigate our every day.
We have a lot of choice regardless of what's going on externally.
Beth: the pandemic hits, you stop doing the massage therapy. And I know how we met is obviously throughout the summer, we were both on a podcast accelerator, uh, class, uh, with the wonderful Jaclyn Malone and Farnoosh Torabi where we met. And, um, it's been a pleasure to get to know you and many other podcasters over that period.
But where did the podcast come for you and your new venture and what it is that you're doing now?
Eowyn: Hm. So partly it came because I'm just a podcast lover and have listened to them a lot in the past six years or so. And they've had a huge impact on me. The ones that I've listened to, they've been really important, kind of just some really potent internal shifts have come about because of listening to podcasts for me.
So I've really experienced the potential there to help people and to reach people, which is exciting. Also, I think I'm trying to balance out the massage work that I still do. So I love massage and I appreciate what it offers people, and I love what it offers and my understanding of what it is and what people can experience during a massage has shifted over the years. But one of the things that I really believe is that if you are given a welcoming, nurturing space and offered rhythmical touch, like on its most basic level, yes, I can help with your back pain or your jaw pain or your neck pain or something like that.
But the experience nowadays of just being quiet in a nurturing environment and having time for yourself to just feel what you need to feel, think what you need to think, just rest, and offer your body love via asking for help from another person. I think there's real power in that. And so I'm very intentional when clients come in that I hold space for them. We chat at the beginning. So when they first come in, I find out what they want from the session. And then I'm pretty intentional about not speaking with them throughout.
Obviously, if they want to talk, we talk, but that usually never lasts beyond the first 10 or 15 minutes. And so I'm intentionally quiet and holding space for other people. And there's interaction on a non-verbal level, but I find myself missing, engaging with people, and missing connecting with other professionals.
It can be quite isolating when you work in private practice, in a healing profession. And so I'm excited about developing the relationships with people, such as with you and learning about people and sharing and having conversations. And so that's really attractive to me as well. And then the third reason is simply marketing for this new business that I'm building.
So I see the power of podcasting as a marketing tool and I appreciate it. And so I'm trying it out.
Isn't it exciting what we're doing?
Beth: it really is and I'm so enjoying it. And I'm so glad that you're enjoying your journey as well.
Whatever you want to call it, what's the thing that's always been calling you. And why do you do the work that you do?
Eowyn: So I think some version of service is what has always called to me. And I had a lot of trouble figuring out what I wanted to do in life and what I wanted to be when I grew up. And I, despite doing really well on my levels, I had all the grades. I could've gone to all the best places.
I ended up going to a tiny liberal arts college in Annapolis, Maryland, where we essentially talked about the great ideas of Western culture for four years. And I didn't have to choose what I wanted to study or what I wanted to be or anything. And was in that context that I realized that I was interested in what led to people's wellbeing and their health internally and externally.
And that was partly through my own health challenges. I was seeking wellness. And then partly just thinking about morality and philosophy and all these other big ideas. So I was thinking about these questions of what it means to be a good person and lead a good life and do good in the world at the same time as having that experience of being put in the garden and this experience of growing vegetables in the context of regenerative agriculture. So those two developed together.
So I think this question of what does it mean to serve? Both human beings and society and the world as a whole. And what does it mean to work with nature, holding that ideal of serving and doing good in the world? And I think those two questions have really been a theme throughout my life and the question of working with money and small business and how to navigate building capital and using it for good. That's kind of a pragmatic question that has come out of my interest in serving.
Beth: And I love now what you're doing with the new focus and community and, and podcasts. You want to say a little bit more about the work that you do around that.
Eowyn: So it's super new my vision is to teach the tools and the attitude and the skills and the systems around building financial stability. So both in one's business and in one's personal life. And my vision is to do that through courses and then to have a membership community component, because you don't change your financial life in three months, you change your financial life in 10 years, you know?
So that's my ultimate vision where I'm beginning is with the podcast, a blog and then coaching one-on-one with people. So that I get more experience seeing exactly how I can help folks. And I learned to share what I've learned in my life. So initially I've been doing that for free and I've just started charging for the coaching as I've got more experience under my belt.
So it's all super new. So, but that's what I've been doing. I've been doing the one-on-one coaching and the content creation and beginning the seeds of the community as well, which is free right now. And I think that was always going to be some, some free version of the community because when people are first having that moment of, Oh, my money is such a mess, I need help.
What am I going to do? Where do I start? I think it's really, it's the right thing to do to have a lot of free resources and support out there so that people can begin their journey of how do I figure this out for me?
Beth: And that's so generous, but I think it also then allows people to then when they do need to invest in their wealth education, they've got a bit of a grounding, they’ve sorted some of the initial things, things out. So that's really, that's really great. Um, so one of the things I like to ask the guests is around, uh, their superpowers.
Um, because I feel like everybody's got skills and experiences. And I think as human beings, we're not always very good at shouting about the things that were really good at. So if somebody were to ask you today, what your superpower was, what would that be?
Eowyn: So I'm choosing two superpowers. One is holding space for people. So I mentioned that in the context of massage work, but I've discovered that I'm able to hold supportive, nonjudgmental space for people to learn and grow within. So that's one of them and the other is about strategy and execution. So someone is thinking about doing this and within the next five minutes, I'm like, all right, here's your five-year plan.
And it's like, I've got it all mapped out for them. So I don't know what you would call that, but a real excitement about how to get things done. Then the steps you want to take to move through those.
Beth: It's like having that helicopter view.
Eowyn: Hm.
Beth: of the roadmap for somebody,
I think that’s so important. Because I think sometimes when you're in the detail, when you're that person in the detail of it, you can't necessarily see that big picture. So I think for you to be able to, first of all, hold that space for somebody to be not nonjudgmental, but then actually to help them to create that vision.
That's a really powerful and amazing superpower.
Eowyn: Can I ask, do you talk about what yours is? Have you already talked about that?
Beth: I think, um, my superpowers are I'm definitely intuitive.
I sense and hear almost things that aren't being said in a lot of people, I think my, the superpower is that I'm just default. Positivity. I think,
Oh,
I think haven't always been that way, but definitely if something bad happens, I’m there instantly and I don't stay down for very long at all.
Eowyn: That's a big one.
Beth: Yeah. I'd love to be able to help more people to be able to find that default button a lot, a lot quicker.
Yeah.
Thank you for asking. I had a guest ask me that before. One of the things when I was listening to your podcast today was this idea of the ability to write, um, and use pen and paper when thinking about money.
And I’ve always got a pen in my hand. It's just part of who I am. Um, I don't like lined paper because I feel hemmed in, I just like to be able to scribble and do and do whatever I want to do. So I just found that really interesting.
That's something that you see as something that can be really beneficial when you're looking at.
wealth and things like that.
Eowyn: Yeah. I think when we do things on paper, rather than via a screen, we just engage differently with it. Neurologically we engage differently with it. And I work with so many people, money has been stressful and chaotic and difficult. Yeah. It's an area that they've avoided. They feel shame around.
And so harnessing that aspect. It's. When you sit down with pen and paper, you're a lot more present and far less likely to be distracted. And it lays down pathways in your brain in a different way than when you type on a screen and you can use all the help you can get. So money is a difficult subject, right?
It has to do with our freedoms. It has to do with our status in society. It has to do with all these emotional things inside of us, it's a difficult area to work on. You know, I feel like death, sex, and money. There's a podcast called death sex and money or money death. I dunno. I think it's death, sex, and money.
It's wonderful. And Anna Sale. It's I think it's through NPR here in the States, but she picked it because those are the three topics that are hardest to deal with and hardest to talk about. So money is a difficult topic, and we can use all the help we can get. And I also think that having visual prompts to see where you are on your goals is super helpful. So I'm a real fan of coloring sheets and trackers that we can look at and see the progress that we've made over time. So I think needing all the help we can get accessing sort of a centering process that we go through when we have pen and paper, and then being able to externalize and envision the progress that we're making with our money.
All three of those things are really powerful.
Beth: I absolutely agree. So every Sunday, and I've done this for a long time now I will set out not necessarily money, but I'll set out the three things that I want to focus on. I'll list the things that I'm grateful for. And then I'll, I'll write. And in as much detail as possible. And I think it just, just set off in motion, all these things in your mind, and you can really start to bring that, that vision to life.
So I really love how you approach it from a wealth angle, because although there'd be times when I've maybe journaling about income and various things, I've never thought about doing all of my wealth kind of stuff and finances in that way. So I think that that was a bit of a, Oh, actually, well, that's the way my brain works anyway.
Then why, why shouldn't I do more of that kind of thing. So that was really helpful. Um, so as entrepreneurs we all have, um, platform of choice particular strategies that help us get out there into the world. Obviously, you've got your podcast, you've got your brand-new business, but what's working for you right now.
Eowyn: Yeah. So I'll start with my massage practice. I'm eight years into that. And the two things that have been most effective for me, one is just word of mouth, which is about showing up and doing a good job. And then people naturally share with the people that they're close to. So word of mouth is always so powerful.
The other thing is my website. I put a lot of time and effort into the SEO specifically, you know, for a local business. And I get several new clients a month from my website without having to do anything. Now that I've put the, put the work in. So those are the two things. In my massage practice that I rely on the most and have been most successful over the years for Plumtree tree money.
It's all very new obviously. But yes, the podcast is what I'm excited about and. I'm interested as much in supporting other people's businesses as growing my own. And I, I believe generally in life that we are supported when we support others. And so I really liked the podcast as a way to do that. And so that's really the main focus right now.
Beth: Yeah. And I don't know about you, but I've been quite surprised, I think by the numbers. Because I think so I was a blogger for a long time, and I know that you've got a blog on the site and I think you put a blog out there and there's a lot of effort in sharing that and getting people to come.
But I think with the podcast, it just seems a lot more organic and that people are finding.
you. Do you feel the same?
Eowyn: I do. And I remember an off-hand comment that Farnoosh in the course that we did the podcast accelerator. She mentioned that people generally get excited about podcasts, and I think that's something. That factors in as well. I think people are like, Oh, I'll check that out. And either I feel like people are either podcast people or they're not.
And if you're a podcast person and someone in, in your community and the people that, you know, people you follow on social media, if a podcast pops up, they're curious and they're excited and they're motivated to check it out in a way that they might not be a blog post.
Beth: Yeah, and I feel like it doesn't infringe on people. day as much as you could be listening to it on the train or in the car or wherever. And I think with a blog post or something else, our video on YouTube, it's almost, you have to stop what you're doing a little bit.
it's got a lot of benefits.
So I'm really excited for your podcast journey as my own as well. So what's, what's next for you? What do you Visualise for Eowyn in the future?
Eowyn: Mm. So I love the idea of location independence, and that's partly because my husband and I are very different people. So he's very tied to the city. He's a long-time classical musician. So city life is important to him and his work and rural life is important to me and my vision for the future. So I like the idea of a business that allows me location freedom.
So building Plumtree money is about serving the people I help and working towards location freedom for myself. And as I mentioned, the membership community and courses are what I have in mind. I'm using this. fantastic platform called mighty networks, which I really love founded by a woman. And it's a very comprehensive platform where you can offer both paid memberships and courses and free community.
All in one, you can embed media and it all happens away from the distractions of Facebook, which I like. So I'm using mighty networks and working towards building that up. And in the long term, I. Have my little pores ready to get a big piece of land and nurture it and develop it and build community and an artist residence.
And lots more.
Beth: I love that. I love all of that. That sounds really exciting.
Thank you so much for being on the show today. Where can people find out more about you and your products and services?
Eowyn: So you can find me under the name Plumtree money either at my website of the same name or my Instagram handle of the same name and yeah. Send me your questions, your comments, your everything’s, and I'd love to chat.
Beth: Great stuff. And I'll put everything in the show notes for today's show as well. Thank you for joining us today.
Eowyn: Thank you.
Beth: I really enjoyed that interview. I hope you did too. Some of the key things I got out of that time with Eowyn was this need to sometimes learn to grieve and let go of what could have been. Because life may have a different plan for you. And I think as Eowyn mentioned that we don't always have control of what is going to happen.
Some of the stuff is happening externally, but we do have control of our mindset and how we can view things and how we can reframe things and how we can show up and totally embrace. What life is presenting to us in a way that allows us to take on those reins and to move forward positively and try something different out?
The conversation also reminded me how our parents and the dynamics of the family. As a child, have a direct impact on our approach today to Money, even though we might not think it does.
As well as those challenges that we may have, if we ever are forced to work with our family or whether through choice, we work with our families, it can be a really good way of finding out how we navigate life in the working world. I loved how Eowyn uses pen and paper, when she approaches helping people navigate money, mindset, and management, and how neurologically something is happening when we are using pen and paper. When we are scribbling when we are. Whether it's to do with numbers or our vision or journaling
Eowyn shared I think a real gift. If you are somebody right now who is experiencing something in your body, an illness or an injury or some mindset stuff where our body is whispering to us again and again, that something is not quite right. Something is off, something needs attention. Eowyn Did not take notice of what her physical body was telling her. And she says that she could have stopped that trajectory she could have changed what was going to happen next in her life. Now, I don't think Eowyn has any regrets around what happened and it's just the universe panning out the way that it did. And it now allows her to be on this journey of doing something, that she really loves, but if you are experiencing some discomfort in your body or mind right now?
Know, that there is help. Know, that there may be a different way to look at this thing and you can get help and change that and it might not mean that you are then forced to change complete direction because you failed to acknowledge what was going on. When we hear these whispers in our body and mind is because it is telling us something and something needs to change.
I feel like we've heard this time and time again, but the pandemic has really been an opportunity to reconnect with our vision, with our purpose of ourselves and to change direction and to start a brand-new future.
One of the other golden nuggets in this conversation was that realization that when you go through traumatic events, we build up a resilience and that in the future, when we go through a different kind of trauma or a different kind of event, that is just thrust upon us we can learn to almost transcend the situation we find ourselves in and just feel content and just be, and just know that we can flow and just rise above the situation because everything is in flow and it's going to be okay.
I also loved listening back to this conversation and that just remembering the power of podcasting and how having conversations and connecting with new people and existing listeners every single day is why I'm doing what I'm doing. And. podcasting as a medium is such an amazing way to do that.
And I don't need to tell you that because you are a podcast listener, but if you are a business owner who might be doing a podcast right now, and you might actually think maybe there's something in podcasts and that is going to really help my business to grow. I would definitely recommend that if that is the case and you're having those thoughts.
Other marketing elements that Eowyn brought out was the benefits of investing in SEO for local businesses Eowyn says she gets a couple of inquiries from new people, just from the work that she put into her SEO when she first started her massage business.
I really loved this episode. I really enjoyed it. I hope you did too. If you did, please do me a review on iTunes. It really helps me to grow the business. If you do leave me a review, one lucky listener will be able to get air 30-minute clarity coaching call with myself.
We can cover whatever you need, help to visualize and creating a. specific goal that you want to fulfil this year. So thank you for listening and I look forward to sharing more episodes, Visualise You next week. Speak to you soon. Bye-bye.