Unconventional Life – Podcast, Blog, Live Events

Author: Jules Schroeder

From Stay-at-Home Mom to 6 Figures: How Leah McHenry Hacked the Music Industry
Making music on the weekends and in the fleeting moments of free time as a mother of five homeschooled kids, Leah was experiencing so much stress when times were tough at work for her husband. She began to ask what she could contribute while she was at home. Scouring the internet led her to the typical musician advice, if you wanna be successful you gotta go on tour…

Instead of feeling stopped the dead end searches, Leah chose to study internet marketing and applied the practices to her music business. She saw how business and music could overlap, and quickly went to the drawing board. When people started asking her what she was doing, she decided to create an ebook to sell. Eventually, her journey asked her to create a course, which skyrocketed into success upon launch. Literally, exploding overnight in late 2015.

From barely known artist to accruing thousands of fans, Leah exemplifies that anything is possible and that there is always a way to success.

What do you need to do to catalyze your own success?

Create What You Need In Your Life. When Leah began this journey, she was filling a gap in the market for herself. She couldn’t find what she needed to catalyze her music career, so she made it. In creating the programs for herself, she found that she was able to effectively articulate the pain points of her customers. It was almost as if she was reading their minds. By calling out the elephant in the room, she could quickly build rapport and create resonance with her audience.

What have you been wanting more of in your life? What do you struggle with? Find what’s missing and build what you need. By intimately knowing your own pain points, you can curate solutions that will help more than just yourself. There is a high likelihood that thousands of other people feel the same way, and they need your help to solve the puzzle.

Find Your “Micro-Niche”. It took Leah three years to realize that there was such a thing as her “micro-niche”. When she finally figured out her musical identity, she was able to stand out in a big way. Leah emphasizes, “be a big fish in a small pond!”. With so much noise on the internet and social media it can be challenging to push through, but by honing in on a very specific group of people you’ll establish yourself in a much more effective way. Leah could not stress this key element of her success more. She gives this example…
1. Rock music (Umbrella Genre)
2. Alternative rock (Sub Genre)
3. Singer-songwriter alternative rock (Niche)
4. Gospel singer-songwriter alternative rock (MICRO-NICHE!)
Voila! This is the way to success. Alleviate the search game for your fans. Think about keywords and check your SEO to help you discover your “micro-niche”. Be specific, don’t just find a bunch of keywords. What is your special twist? Discover all the ways you might be different from what is already being offered and work from there.

Speak to the Superfan. What is a “superfan” you might ask? This is someone who absolutely LOVES everything you do. They are customers that come back and want whatever you have to offer. It’s not difficult to offer them products and programs because they are already on board for whatever you do. These are the die-hard Star Wars fans, the Harry Potter enthusiasts, the James Bond devotees, etc. This group is where you have lifetime value and where you can focus on your long term relationships. Leah suggests focusing your attention on the superfans and increase the number of things that they might enjoy to increase your overall revenue. If these people want what you have, find ways to increase your ability to give it to them.

To follow Leah and learn more about her offerings:

www.callsma.com

www.facebook.com/groups/savvymusician

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Amelia Broughton is a relational facilitator, writer, and purveyor of connection, pioneering a more connected, communication-savvy, and emotionally intelligent planet. She has facilitated Authentic Relating and Relational Leadership in a 9-month training named T3 (Train the Trainer), in workshops with companies such as Authentic World, Authentic Revolution, and Authentic Relating Training International, around the world in communities like Unconventional Life and Momentom Collective, and in the past year has facilitated monthly events at Archipelago Clubs in Denver, CO.

Amelia’s writing has been featured on mindbodygreen, in Conscious Lifestyle Magazine, Boulder Lifestyle Magazine, and The C3 Method. An active Unconventional Life member, Amelia consistently contributes her writing.
March 4, 2019
How to Lead with Love and Be A Part of International Women’s Day with Global Sisterhood

Healing the Divide, Every Step Counts…Here’s How Global Sisterhood is Changing the Narrative:

In just the past few years, we’ve started to hear the vivid stories of injustice that were once silenced or ignored, the “Me Too” movement has spread like wildfire, and surfacing traumas have initiated women worldwide to speak up and share their painful experiences. With bottled up emotions and shame finally getting overdue air time, the magnitude of variant orientations has been manifested and expressed at times with immense charge or trigger. And while these terrible acts occurred for many, many years before receiving rightfully deserved attention, the awareness is finally asking the world to take a serious look at how we’ve oriented towards masculinity and femininity, not necessarily just gender, but an overhaul of what we deem as acceptable ways to treat one another as a global society.

According to Walsh, it’s not one man or woman’s fault but the fault of many years ago. A disproportionate valuing of the masculine orientation towards life over a more feminine or balanced perspective that in turn created structures and systems that favor a certain way of living life. This certain way of living tends to position women in feeling not enough, wrong, or undervalued for who they are and what they can tangibly “bring to the table”. Whether silently resenting, angry, abused, shamed, or any flavor of damage in this global wound between women and men, there is much work to be done however you view the story or situation.

In Walsh’s case, her pain presented itself in many different ways. From abusive relationships to a lack of supportive women in her life, she shares, “I think the hardest part of what I went through wasn’t necessarily the trauma from men or boys which was significant, it was the fact that I didn’t feel like I had women or girls that had my back and that would stand by me or just knew how to stand by me”. As a young girl, she felt a lot of shame about who she was, didn’t believe in herself, and felt very much alone a lot of the time. She would learn to heal from this downward spiral and change the way she thought about life and her power. Her path was by no means immediately focused on creating a worldwide movement of women coming together in a circle. In reclaiming her own femininity, she began to see how vital her purpose in changing the narrative was for women. Instead of comparing, judging, and competing with women, she would choose to expose the actions she wasn’t proud of to a hundred woman at the Texas State Capitol when she was invited to speak a peace prayer. Sharing the shadow of being a woman inspired a man to ask her to continue leading woman, healing their traumas and empowering them into their purpose. Walsh’s vulnerability inspired others to claim their own shadow and choose new actions. She is a shining example of an empowered woman living her mission to help others do the same together.

With humility and grace, Walsh wants women to know that they are not wrong for the way they feel. By coming together and supporting women globally, Global Sisterhood is a platform to inspire women to lift each other up and be advocates of a more compassionate, understanding world.

No act of love is too small. Whether it’s noticing the negative thoughts you’re having about another woman and shifting your commentary or acknowledging your pain in such a way as to not damage or diminish, but create awareness for new choice and change, there are infinite ways to heal the divide. There is not necessarily a right or wrong way, but an opportunity to learn how we can better be with our feelings, our emotions, our experiences, and our perspectives. In all honesty, there has never really been a “How to Effectively Be a Human” manual, let alone how to be feminine or masculine. Sure, there are morals and values that our respective societies tend to celebrate and share, but there is not a one-size-fits-all model that everyone knows how to follow or respond to. To have compassion and be authentically honest with ourselves, is a step in the right direction. We are all in this learning process together.

There is something beautiful, something to celebrate, something to shift your perspective in each and every person on this planet. First, come together, choose compassion, choose to listen, choose love, and choose to learn from the past to make different choices for the future.

Join thousands of women on March 8th for International Women’s Day!

To learn more go to https://www.globalsisterhood.org/

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Amelia Broughton is a relational facilitator, writer, and purveyor of connection, pioneering a more connected, communication-savvy, and emotionally intelligent planet. She facilitates Authentic Relating and Relational Leadership in various settings and communities. Her expertise is in team dynamics and interpersonal relations. With over 10 years of experience on teams and in communities, Amelia’s vision for the world is one of beautiful interconnection, a place where we put down the distractions and to-do lists to bask in the miracles that surround us. The type of connection that nourishes us internally, externally and has every one of us feel seen, heard and loved with a true sense of belonging. An active Unconventional Life member, Amelia consistently contributes her writing.

February 25, 2019
How to Creatively Combine Passion and Purpose for Positive Change with Rising Appalachia’s Chloe Smith

Thoughts inspired by some of Chloe’s favorite quotes:

“You’re Calling is Sometimes Louder than Your Comfort” Being a professional musician was never the initial goal for Chloe Smith. She grew up in a community of musicians and was one of the few kids running around with a bunch of adults.

It didn’t even occur that being a musician was a viable professional career path at the time. Both her and her sister were raised playing classical piano but weren’t interested in investing in the musical route until after they graduated high school.

One of Chloe’s favorite quotes is “your calling is sometimes louder than your comfort”, which contributed to her bravery to take the stage time and time again when music did, in fact, seem to be part of the path. Her quote beautifully represents this aspect of no longer being able to let the discomfort distract you from your purpose. Chloe shared that she’s made tons of material that has never made it to production and that she is usually her own greatest critic.

Is there something that’s been calling your name, but also seems wildly uncomfortable? Sometimes the path isn’t clear until it is, and even then it’s constantly evolving. Notice the breadcrumbs along the way and keep putting one foot in front of the other. Whether you’ve already taken the leap into entrepreneurship or you’re on the fence, the unknown and uncomfortable unfortunately deter so many from choosing the path that beckons their name.

Don’t let your comfort zone keep you forever. Check out what’s on the other side. If you’re anything like Chloe, you’ll combine aspects of your life that you’re deeply passionate about for greater impact and reach.

“Don’t do Art for Art’s Sake” Unlike her sister, Leah, Chloe was really uncomfortable on stage and had to make a conscious effort to choose this path. The sisters had always been very close and were deeply passionate activists. Using their voices for political purposes was the fuel that helped spark their music career, and ultimately a greater movement. This quote from their father naturally invoked a deeper meaning to their music. They set out to spread awareness about the issues that mattered to them and used the music as a platform to reach people in nontraditional ways.

The Slow Music Movement and Rise Collective became ways for them to honor the creatives and place attention on the misaligned values of the music industry. They talk openly about the pitfalls and injustices happening in the music industry. It’s all about leaving the towns they visit better than there were before arriving, advocating for slowing down and rooting deeply into the culture. It’s more than just the music for them. It’s about inspiring people to create the change they wish to see in the world.

Whether you’re an activist, artist, musician, or all three, the common thread is to inspire a deeper feeling, an action, a thought, something that alters or interrupts what was once there before. Even if you believe you haven’t a creative bone in your body, there is a way to incorporate art into your life or business. Add artistic elements to your environment, listen to an inspiring talk about something you’re interested in, or invite a friend to join you at a local event. Get involved with something that matters to you. Create a life that has a deeper meaning, something more than just the money, something that has the ability to make each day greater than the day before.

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Amelia Broughton is a relational facilitator, writer, and purveyor of connection, pioneering a more connected, communication-savvy, and emotionally intelligent planet. She facilitates Authentic Relating and Relational Leadership in various settings and communities. Her expertise is in team dynamics and interpersonal relations. With over 10 years of experience on teams and in communities, Amelia’s vision for the world is one of beautiful interconnection, a place where we put down the distractions and to-do lists to bask in the miracles that surround us. The type of connection that nourishes us internally, externally and has every one of us feel seen, heard and loved with a true sense of belonging. An active Unconventional Life member, Amelia consistently contributes her writing.

February 19, 2019
How to Utilize Your Eroticism to Fuel Your Creative Genius with World Renown Sexologist, Jaiya

It’s widely believed that intimacy must stay behind closed doors, but what if your eroticism is actually fuel that has the ability to awaken latent creative genius in your brain! According to Napoleon Hill’s classic Think and Grow Rich, when channeled effectively your sexuality has unimaginable superpowers. In fact, after a 90-day orgasm challenge, Jaiya tripled her income by using her pleasure as her purpose.

Once a shy little girl, Jaiya grew up in a poor, abusive environment and remembers spending countless hours hiding away in her Catholic school library. She’d dive into books about eroticism and sexuality, frantically learning as much as she could about the ways humans intimately interacted with each other. It’s clear to acknowledge the budding sexologist she already was at such a young age. From eradicating the idea of storks delivering babies amongst her peers to designing a masterful system that helps anyone discover their erotic type, Jaiya made it her mission to uncover and debunk the mysticism around eroticism.

Right before listening to Jaiya’s episode I took the quiz and found out I’m a Kinky Type (Find out what you are here). Initially sharing this feels vulnerable and exposing, but after sitting with what she shared in the podcast, I’m choosing to try on a new option which is to feel permission to be exactly as I am. In a world where sex is primarily a culturally taboo topic, Jaiya is an advocate for releasing shame and uncertainty by providing tools that empower people to embrace this sensational gift we were all given at birth. Sex is a fundamental aspect to life and yet time and time again, Jaiya saw how many of her clients would express dissatisfaction and shame about their needs or desires.

How frequently do you feel shame or misunderstood about your sexual preferences? Does talking about eroticism bring anything up for you? Understanding the drive of your body is a constant learning process, and Jaiya’s work came much from her own trials and tribulations. Part of her service to humanity is helping clients speak, heal and expand the possibilities of pleasure to experience turn on in all realms of their lives.

Jaiya believes that sexual incompatibility is a myth and that each type has its own language. Take the Erotic Blueprint quiz and see what your type is. Learn how to articulate your desires and needs. Share with your partner and learn their type too. Notice your behavioral patterns and thoughts about your sexuality. Find mentors, therapists, and support systems to assist your exploration. Be a student of sexuality and together we can carve a new awareness and greater self-acceptance.

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Amelia Broughton is a relational facilitator, writer, and purveyor of connection, pioneering a more connected, communication-savvy, and emotionally intelligent planet. She facilitates Authentic Relating and Relational Leadership in various settings and communities. Her expertise is in team dynamics and interpersonal relations. With over 10 years of experience on teams and in communities, Amelia’s vision for the world is one of beautiful interconnection, a place where we put down the distractions and to-do lists to bask in the miracles that surround us. The type of connection that nourishes us internally, externally and has every one of us feel seen, heard and loved with a true sense of belonging. An active Unconventional Life member, Amelia consistently contributes her writing.

February 12, 2019
How to Access and Express Your Greatest Gifts with Adam Roa

Try Out These Transformative Tips from Adam:

Look Inside. Once someone who believed he was purely a logical mind that lacked the creative pulse, Adam awakened his artistic potential and began sharing his wisdom to millions around the world. A modern day renaissance man, Adam realized at a young age that no amount of achievement would fill the hole he felt internally and went on a quest to question everything he’d been told about how life was and wasn’t. The longing for wholeness called him to turn his focus inwards and befriend the uncomfortable, vulnerable places within him that he’d once deemed unsafe or too scary. With fierce commitment to willingly look at these parts of himself, Adam is a powerful example of what is possible when you choose to step into the transformative fires to truly love yourself and live your own personal truth.

What parts of yourself have you labeled too damaged, wrong, impossible to be with? What ways of being have you subscribed to unwillingly or unconsciously? Is there a nagging voice inside that begs for something different than your current reality? From his own experience, Adam shares, “the only way to fill up that desire to feel loved, worthy, fulfilled is to go inwards, go inside ourselves and look at the places we don’t feel enough.”

Faceoff with the discomfort and sit with the things that don’t feel good. By choosing to address the aspects of yourself you don’t like, you will discover what lies on the other side of your fears. What will you uncover? What would be possible if your fears didn’t phase you in the way they once did before you faced them?

Breathe. In choosing to sit in the discomfort and give himself permission to feel, Adam continued to see how vital the awareness of breath was for his life. When you take a deep breath, your body begins to signal the parasympathetic nervous system which calms your nerves and shifts you into rest and relaxation. Often people are in a constant stress response, or fight or flight mode because they are taking shorter breaths which activates the sympathetic nervous system.

Next time you feel overwhelmed or nervous, start to focus on your breath. Whether you don’t know what to say in response to someone or you’re moving through an uncomfortable sensation, allowing yourself to have a few deep breaths will provide the space to come back to the present moment and calm your system. Deep breathing lets your body know it’s ok to feel and to be with yourself.

The invitation is to cultivate this awareness in your life and watch the shifts that start to occur.

Be. Adam believes that the greatest gifts arise out of our darkest shadows, and illustrates this statement through his journey of radical self-love and healing after painful, traumatic experiences. The Art of Choosing Love episodes are one of many ways Adam shares his realizations and reconciliations after his loving partnership of 9 and ½ years ended. It is an emotionally all-encompassing story of his healing journey – highs, lows, and everything in between. By being fully himself and modeling authentic and raw vulnerability, Adam illuminates the path to powerfully choose and discover what it means to truly love.

If you look back on your journey, where have you felt the most pain, suffering, sadness, or loss? Where have you perceived weakness or confusion? By giving yourself permission to share all parts of you, you are bringing awareness to those darker places to create different choices and honoring yourself in the process.

You are the Priority. Social media tends to only show the snapshot seconds of our joyous moments and paints a false picture of the full spectrum of the human experience. Adam saw how confusing and overwhelming the saturated messages from social media were, and chose to model the behaviors he wished to see in the world instead of just telling people what to do and how to live.

He prioritizes self-love by choosing not run from himself anymore. Personal development is not always a path of sunshine and rainbows and will likely bring up the scariest parts of you, all the places you’ve pushed away or numbed out. By prioritizing experiences with safe containers to express yourself, you are respecting your unique process and letting the misaligned aspects of your life fall away. When you love yourself enough to say “no more” to anything that dampens your creative expression, you are on track to deeper alignment and love.

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Amelia Broughton is a relational facilitator, writer, and purveyor of connection, pioneering a more connected, communication-savvy, and emotionally intelligent planet. She facilitates Authentic Relating and Relational Leadership in various settings and communities. Her expertise is in team dynamics and interpersonal relations. With over 10 years of experience on teams and in communities, Amelia’s vision for the world is one of beautiful interconnection, a place where we put down the distractions and to-do lists to bask in the miracles that surround us. The type of connection that nourishes us internally, externally and has every one of us feel seen, heard and loved with a true sense of belonging. An active Unconventional Life member, Amelia consistently contributes her writing.

February 6, 2019