The Wild Folk
By Aimée Coates
The Wild FolkNov 14, 2021
11 lessons from Season 01
In this final episode, I look back at the rich conversations I've had with my 15 guests and share the lessons I've learned:
And in a way they will form the new
1. Own your story. Be the main character. You don’t want to look back one day and see someone else in your story.
2. You are making a difference just by showing up and speaking your truth
3. Know something intimately. Spend time on the thing you love. Do it and do it well
4. Experiment until it feels right
5. You may feel lonely sometimes but you are loved
6. Do thing for the joy of it. You don’t have to make money from your art if you don’t want to.
7. Don’t worry too much about buzzwords or niches. find what’s feels authentic to you
8. You’re a mover and a shaker. It’s your mission to challenge the status quo and leave the world a better place than you found it
9. Don’t try to be someone you’re not. Honour, cherish and celebrate all that you are.
10. Read widely.
11. You are a human being, not a human doing.
Rewild Your Work: A Seasonal Approach to Business with Maddy & Eleanor from Folk + Field
Maddy Lawson and Eleanor Cheetham run Folk + Field- Folk: a coming-together of people and place; a home for wildhearted wanderers and seekers of slow. The pair have a shared love of nature and a belief in the magic of connection. It’s a community for those who long for a simple life inspired by the natural world. Through membership and courses, Folk + Field is all about rewilding your life, realigning with the seasons and reconnecting with the land, with yourself, and with others.
Follow Folk + Field on Instagram.
Writing for your Business with Jess Sutton
Jess Sutton is an-eco freelance copywriter and owner of 'The Green Creative.' She writes wildly adventurous copy , content and strategy for eco-conscious and ethical businesses. In this episode, we dive into the glorious world of writing copy for your business (the ethical way.)
Connect with Jess on Instagram & LinkedIn.
Connect with Aimée on Instagram.
The Power of Vulnerability with Kellie Walker + Bex Ellison
Mindfulness Matters with Kiri McLaughlin
Kiri McLaughlin is passionate about continuing the conversation around mental health. In 2020, Kiri set up 'Mindful Messages NI'- a self-care service where you can send 'parcels of hope' to yourself or a loved on. Each parcel is lovingly curated to calm, soothe and uplift the receipt.
Kiri has been working in the field of mental health since 2015. Kiri’s passion for mental health stems from her lived experiences. Having worked for several different charity organisations she has recently ventured into sharing her knowledge under her own business. Kiri is in her mid-thirties (but often still feels like a teenager), married with two little children and a big furry dog. For a long time she has thought she has had life figured out but she’s coming to realise that everyone is just winging it and if her life’s work is helping a few people she’ll be contented.
You can connect with Kiri & Aimée on Instagram.
*Remember - if you're struggling, reach out! You are loved more than you know.
Know your body, Know yourself with Caterina Avanzi
Caterina Avanzi is a personal-stylist. She helps women find their style, get dressed effortlessly and be confident in their own skin. We discuss better ways to know and love your body and how to express your deepest self. Connect with Caterina on Instagram and Aimée on Instagram.
Running a Soulful Business with Laura Gosney
Laura is a soulful website designer creating purposeful and strategic websites for conscious businesses and passionate creatives. She focuses on delivering personality-driven websites that are both beautiful and functional, with a particular focus on accessibility and inclusivity. She believes that business can be a force for good and that a successful business doesn't have to be at the expense of people or the environment. Laura is passionate about empowering her community to make slow, intentional choices about their business that drives sustainable growth while being in alignment with their heart and soul. She believes in taking consistent, imperfect action towards a better world for everyone!
Why I'm not an "ethical" buisness with Jeanne Carlier
Show notes are available on my website.
Jeanne is the founder of Spark & Bloom, a mindful brand strategy and design studio. She helps clients who are changing the world to make it a more sustainable and ethical place. Jeanne cultivates mindfulness, education and kindness as a way to inspire and tackle the environmental crisis and social justice issues through the lens of business and design practices.
We discuss:
Why Spark and Bloom is a mindful studio, not an 'ethical' or 'eco' conscious business How to make your business more mindfulYou can connect with Jeanne on Instagram and Aimée with Instagram.
Joy over Profit with Chloe Merilla Tyghe
Shownotes are available over on my website
Chloe is a singer-songwriter from the South West of England, now based in Edinburgh. Her haunting melodies and evocative piano accompaniment are romantic, moody and far-reaching.
In this episode we discuss:
Creating for the love and joy of it - not for profit!Listen to Chloe's album and connect with her on Instagram.
You can connect with Aimée over on Instagram.
Creating Community around your buisness with Katie Skelton
Shownotes are available on my website
Katie is the founder of Little Green Duck, helping business owners that want to put purpose or sustainability at the heart of what they do to connect, grow and feel supported. She runs The Duck Pond, a community & membership for purpose-led entrepreneurs, and believes that community, collaboration, and support are the keys to building a movement of businesses that can collectively change the world!
We talk about:
What community is, why it’s important, where to find it and how to build it The balance between competition and collaboration The ethics of sellingConnect with Katie on Instagram
Connect with Aimée on Instagram
Building a Strong Brand with Michelle Lyons
Full show notes are available on my website
Michelle is the founder of Point North Brand Co. From design to brand strategy, Michelle helps creative visionaries craft compelling brand stories that inspire, connect and delight their audiences.
We talk about:
Pivoting our business Getting to know our target audience Crafting a strong brand identity Niche-ing downBooks mentioned in the episode:
Connect with:
Michelle over on Instagram
Aimée over on Instagram
Reclaiming Our Wildness with Kelly Hargie
Kelly Hargie is a mother, mountain guide and blogger based in NI. Kelly runs Wild Women events – a community for adventure-seeking women.
We discuss:
The healing power of nature Following your curiosity to build a business Reclaiming ourselves in wild spaces Moving past self-doubt and the comparison complex Honouring boundaries in your business Nature Writing as medicineFull show notes are available on my website.
Making the World a Better Place Through Purpose-Led Design with Sarah Barton
Full show notes are available over on my website.
In today's episode, I talk to freelance graphic designer and illustrator Sarah Barton, about how she thinks purpose-led design can change the world for the better.
Sarah is a passionate eco-activist that aspires to be part of the ‘community that changes the world.’ Her design work spans several disciplines from brand identity, publications and social media; to illustration, video, advertising and web. Her varied approach to design work enables her to spread the message of a cleaner, greener and fairer future to a much broader range of people.
She creates bold, eye-catching graphics that are not only beautiful to look at but also illuminate important climate issues such as ocean pollution and humanities impact on the natural world.
As well as running her graphic design business, Sarah also runs an ethical print business ‘Start Smol’ where she creates joyful prints that don’t cost the earth.
You can connect with Sarah over on Instagram.
In this episode we talk about:
· Greenwashing techniques brands are using
· The emergence of purpose-led design agencies
· The role design plays in promoting sustainable habits
· Putting principles before profit / leading with values
Books mentioned in this episode:
‘The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History’ – by Elizabeth Kolbert
‘Find Your Artistic Voice’ – by Lisa Congdon
Links mentioned in this episode:
Stepping Into your Creative Story with Sophie Erin Evans
In this episode, I speak to Sophie Erin Evans on the power of Stepping into your Creative Story.
Sophie is a visual artist, photographer and marketer based in the South-West.
Sophie is the owner of With Wild Lines and runs a photography business We Are Found, alongside her husband, award-winning photographer Lloyd Evans.
Storytelling is woven across all mediums of Sophie’s work and this episode is a deep-dive into Sophie's creative life and work. We also discuss:
- The highs and lows of creative self-employment
- Embracing a beginner’s mindset
- The joy of authentic marketing
All links are available in the show notes.
Knowing your Business Values + a little Introduction
Hello, and welcome to this first episode of The Wild Folk.
I wanted to properly introduce myself and share a little bit of my story with you before we dive into our log of creative conversations.
In this episode I also discuss business values:
What they are Why they're so important How to uncover your business valuesYou can find me via my website or over on Instagram.
The Wild Folk Trailer
Introducing The Wild Folk - a conscious business podcast for those seeking a slower, simpler and more aligned way of living and working.
This podcast is for ethical brands and creative businesses who are making the world a greener, fairer place through their work.
You'll hear lots of inspirational and thoughtful conversations with those who are running their business a little differently.