Name: Nicole Piar
Business Name: Nicole Piar
Website: http://nicolepiar.com
Instagram: @ghostkittenart
Facebook: @ghostkittenart
Twitter: @ghostkittenart

Note from Jenn: This “Where are they now?” RBBP Spotlight is on the magical and whimsical artist and intuitive creator Nicole Piar. I can still remember when Nicole started her Month of Cats challenge several years ago and shared about it in our Mentorship group. It was amazing to see how this challenge she created for herself to paint a cat a day that month of October eventually led to designing and launching her Spirit Cats Oracle Deck. That’s just one of the many amazing offerings Nicole has put out into the world with her signature playful and magical style and as you’ll learn below there are more to come. I know you’ll be so inspired by Nicole’s journey and I’m honored to know that the RBBP served as her very first intro into business. Nicole is a featured guest in my Product Development Playground home study and she collaborated with me on a Crowdfunding Essentials course where she shared her tips on how to create a successful Kickstarter campaign.

Here’s a screenshot of us cracking up during her Product Development Playground spotlight interview.

This is part of a series of “Where are they now?” RBBP Spotlight posts will be shared throughout 2021 in celebration of the Right-Brain Business Plan book’s 10th year anniversary.

What is your business and what makes your business unique?

I am an artist, writer, and oracle deck creator. I blend my art, writing, and intuitive channeling to create tools that help people strengthen their intuition, feel more compassion, and feel more free.

I consider my work to happily reside at the intersection of creativity and magic. I do kitty commissions which I consider to be a magical, playful collaboration between me and the cat. Cats often have quite a bit to “say” about how their portraits will look and I love connecting with their unique spirits.

I also create guided meditations, guided inner quests like my Vision Seeker course, moon ritual sets, and Soul Prints which are intuitive portraits of the Inner You. I love receiving visions in deep meditation and then translating them into paintings. In the end, I am a bit of an art witch.

 

How has the Right-Brain Business Plan® helped you? What is different for you and your business after approaching planning in a creative, visual way?

Nicole’s Big Vision 2013 
RBBP was my very first introduction to business. As an artist and intuitive, I always felt business and marketing were for other people. I just didn’t know how it related to me and yet, here I was starting a business from my passions and not really sure how to go about it.

RBBP created the bridge between creativity and business that I so needed. It made business feel approachable, exciting, and POSSIBLE, even for me. I learned how I could be uniquely me even as my weird, outsider self, and that could actually be an asset. I learned that marketing was really about making authentic connections with people which is what I was longing for already.

All the business concepts made so much more sense to me through the creative and visual lens of the RBBP. It really spoke to me in a language I relate to and could easily implement.
 

Tell us about your RBBPs through the years:

Moth Mew 

Before RBBP, I wanted to continue to grow my business as an illustrator and surface designer. My big vision really clarified how much I longed to bring in my spiritual practice, my intuitive channeling, and my life-long fascination with my mystical inner world into my business. I still loved to paint and make things but I saw a new possibility of my art life and my spiritual life blending and merging. Being in the RBBP community really helped to encourage and support me in taking this leap.

In 2016, I launched my first oracle deck, Spirit Cats, on Kickstarter and fully funded it in 1 hour. Each magical kitty was channeled along with a healing message. This deck helped people tap into their intuition and create more intimacy with their inner worlds. It was honestly a dream come true. My Spirit Cats Deck continued to grow in popularity and I expanded to sell wholesale as well as in my online shop. I now have over 100 shops carrying my products worldwide. I also do a Spirit Cat Calendar every year!

In 2020, I launched my Cosmic Allies Altar Art Deck and Book which was born out of my own exploration and ritual work with the archetypes of the 7 planetary energies: Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn. The Cosmic Allies help people create sacred space and cultivate a playful and fun daily experience of ritual and magic. I am always inspired by seeing people work with the deck in their own unique ways for intuitive guidance, co-creation, and manifestation.

Nicole’s Cosmic Allies 
I also hit a big moola milestone in 2020 when I crossed the 6-figure mark in my business. I feel so proud that I was able to reach that money goal while staying true to myself and art and doing what I love most: painting, channeling, and writing!

This year, I released my Cosmic Allies Meditation Set and two more decks are on their way: my Witch Cats Oracle Deck and a top-secret one.

I really feel like my business is perfect for me and I know getting clear on my vision with my RBBP early on pointed me in the right direction. I have continued to journey down that path but it all started with getting really clear and learning how to navigate my business decisions using my knowledge and intuition combined.
 

What advice do you have for other creative entrepreneurs?

Dreammy Purpose 

Create the business you honestly, deeply desire to have, and let the hope of a bright future call you forward. Don’t hold back, riddled worries about what would be the most likely to be successful. If you need time to get better at your craft or hone your skills, be patient with yourself. With time and devotion, you will see progress. Always check in with your intuition and you will not be led astray. Things might not look exactly as you expected but you will go on a healing journey and there will be delightful surprises along the way.
 

Check this out!

Nicole is sharing her free Vision Seeker Course: a 13-day guided quest using tarot/oracle cards, guided meditations, journaling, and creative exercises. It will help you strengthen your intuition, make aligned decisions with clarity and confidence, and take meaningful, soul-inspired actions. Plus, it is a fun way to connect with fellow seekers and explore your inner world. You can sign up here: https://www.nicolepiar.com/visionseeker Hope to see you there!

Name: Katherine Carey
Business Name: Style Kat Pro
Website: http://stylekatpro.com
Instagram: @stylekatpro
Facebook: StyleKatPro

Note from Jenn: Our next “Where are they now?” RBBP Spotlight is on Couture Hat Designer and Bespoke Business Consultant and all-around passionate creative spirit Katherine Carey. I’ve always appreciated Katherine’s go-getter attitude and enthusiasm that she brings to any of her entrepreneurial endeavors. As you’ll see in her spotlight and super awesome video as well, Katherine is a multi-passionate creative who developed a global brand of hats, then moved into becoming an advisor to influencers and entrepreneurs and is now finding a way to come full circle bringing the two together in an elevated way. I know you’ll be super inspired by Katherine and her RBBP journey! Enjoy!

This is part of a series of “Where are they now?” RBBP Spotlight posts that will be shared throughout 2021 in celebration of the Right-Brain Business Plan book’s 10th year anniversary.

10 year video review from Katherine.

What is your business and what makes your business unique?

I love to implement inspiration into income. I’m a Couture Hat Designer and Bespoke Business Consultant.

My secret superpower is being relatable to my clients genuinely and authentically. I help them grow their confidence, whether through wearing a fabulous hat or upping their value in their businesses by turning up the pro-factor.

Everything I do intertwines to build confidence, get the clients positioning themselves in front of their key audience, and the style items that set them apart from the pack.

 

How has the Right-Brain Business Plan® helped you? What is different for you and your business after approaching planning in a creative, visual way?

Katherine’s RBBP 2013 
Firstly, I must acknowledge and give a huge shout-out and congratulations to Jenn. What a legacy you have created.

The RBBP has become the cornerstone of my business foundation. It is a golden reference book that I tap into every time I feel stuck, need a little re-direction, or simply want a boost.

My time spent with the Cohort Circle was vital in the growth of my business. At the time, this was my first proper investment into a mentoring program. It was the best investment I ever made.

I’m a lifelong creative, so discovering a community of business-minded creatives and using the tools Jenn created to help us, I can simply say it works!

It’s timeless wisdom that elevates your business.
 

Tell us about your RBBPs through the years:

Katherine’s Couture Hats 

Thinking back on my past decade, the amount of growth I’ve seen in myself and my business is exponential.

My original intention was to see my hat business become a global business. It now is. This stage occurred during my time with the RBBP community.

I found myself doing NYFW, PFW, and LAFW with Vogue Italia requesting hats as well, all while setting up shop in an artisan marketplace in the heart of Greenwich Village. In the end, my brand became one of the best-selling lines in the city’s top hat shop, with my hats purchased by Jill Scott, Yoko Ono, and Bette Midler.

I now had clients globally.

So you know how that goes. When you find yourself at the top of your peak, you can either sit there, maybe stroll the plateau on that level, or just take a running start and make a leap to a new mountain.

I am a quantum leaper, so I took off.

I chose to leave the city and the intense merry-go-round that was the work cycle there and partner with my Mama in Southern Arizona.

I was ready for a change (my hands were anxious too), so I sought fresh inspiration. I saw a need to help other creatives with exceptional talent yet flat sales and inner blockages about showcasing their work. Tapping into this insight, I launched my consulting business.

I specialize in upping the value and price points for my clients, curating luxury experiences that feel in-person but are done online, and nurturing their clients to become loyal patrons.

I became a columnist for the feminine high-performance magazine, The House Of Preeminence™. This opened doors to an entirely new clientele. Now I am working with women who have 6-7 figure businesses. Many of my clients did their business through public speaking engagements. Now they had to transition to show up online. I help them with strategy and create social media content and materials for their design programs.

In full-circle fashion, I just launched a new hat collection of twelve originals with custom options called The Trailblazers—power hats for everyday wins.

My world is a dance between couture hat design and boosting other businesses through my own experience.

Oh! And I totes plan on hitting the road for some sweet traveling ASAP. A road trip to Texas next month and NY/Paris in the Fall. I, like many, am ready!
 

What advice do you have for other creative entrepreneurs?

Katherine’s Motto 

I 100% believe in letting your audience inside. Saving all your energy for the Big Launch Date sounds great, but to your audience, it just means they likely haven’t seen or heard from you at all. When you let people into your studios and behind-the-scenes of your business, you become relatable. They will be interested, follow your progress, and most importantly, they will feel invested in your success. This translates to them primed to purchase come launch day.

If you only take one thing away… this is it!

xoxo
Katherine

p.s. And don’t forget the power of Client Love!

Check this out!

To celebrate, Katherine is offering my amazing community two VIP % discount codes.

For the new hat collection she just launched, The Trailblazers, use the code: MODERNWEST for a 20% discount on any of the hats. (Including custom-made.)

For any other services and products use the code: RBBPSTYLE for a 10% discount valid through the end of the year.

http://stylekatpro.com

Name: Jennyann Carthern
Business Name: Paint Is Thicker Than Water
Website: http://paintisthickerthanwater.com
Instagram: @beingjennyann
Facebook: paintisthickerthanwater

Note from Jenn: Our next “Where are they now?” RBBP Spotlight is on awesome artist and art teacher Jennyann Carthern who has been a long-time RBBPer and was part of our mentorship Cohort Circle back in the day. She also participated in our Product Development Playground where she made several cool products including a coloring book and an e-course. I just love the story behind the screenshot below. Jennyann a guest on one of my webinars and that’s her showing me the visual she created to help her manifest her goal to one day be a panelist on one of my live video classes! So creative and fun!

This is part of a series of “Where are they now?” RBBP Spotlight posts that will be shared throughout 2021 in celebration of the Right-Brain Business Plan book’s 10th year anniversary.

Jennyann was a featured guest on a Big Vision webinar with me.

What is your business and what makes your business unique?

Easter Paint Nite Canvas 2020
I’m currently relaunching my business Paint Is Thicker Than Water as a Virtual Paint Party Business to help Women escape the daily grind in exchange for fun, painting, and creative growth! Delivering two types of virtual painting experiences. One that forces you to start without a Plan called No Rules Paint Nite and your regular ol’ Step by Step Paint Nite! Along with Art & Art Kits.

My uniqueness lies in my vision. I’m creating a culture of creativity in the daily lives of women. I believe that the more you invite creativity into your life, the more it will start showing up for you on a day-to-day basis. Leaving behind joy and less stress in your life.

Both of my painting experiences challenge women to be brave, to commit to the process, and to just let go, have fun, and bond with new friends along the way!

 

How has the Right-Brain Business Plan® helped you? What is different for you and your business after approaching planning in a creative, visual way?

Jennyann’s RBBP 2011 
The Right-Brain Business Plan really helped me have more fun creating my business. I’ve always been a visual learner, and learning, in general, has been somewhat difficult throughout the years. Only because I was trying to be someone else’s idea of what a smart person looks like.

Well, I now know that a smart person finds what works for them. The Right-Brain Business Plan works for me. It’s given me permission to bring more play into my life and my business. I’m no longer trying to put a square peg into a round hole. In fact, I’m designing my own pegs!

What has stuck with me the most is my project planning process, yearly vision board collage, and my right brain business accordion book. Even though I lose them all the time, they still manage to show up for me when I need them the most.

 

Tell us about your RBBPs through the years:

Jennyann’s 2020 RBBP 

I discovered the Right Brain Business a little after graduating from Art School, sometime around 2010. It was a printable ebook at that time, that I downloaded, printed, and put together.

Later, there were summits, cohorts, and just a whole lot of fun. Including connections with other creative people, that I had been missing after leaving art school.

What I had then was a little blog I created called Paint Is Thicker Than Water. I shared things about illustration and what to do after art school and participated in Blog Hops. Little did I know, that years later, I would take that name and turn it into a Business.

In between that time, I did lots of independent illustration projects and collaborations with other illustrators as well. I also taught as a Teaching Artist.

I didn’t know it at the time, but the Right-Brain Business Plan was really my building block to what I wanted my business to feel like. It built a foundation for me and really revolutionized how I thought about what a business is and what it should like.

It took down all those walls that used to tell me that I had to act or be a certain way to run a business. This Weird Aquarian Introvert has created coloring books, taught workshops to educators, and shows up as herself in the world.

I wanted a business that I enjoyed. I enjoy making art, and I also enjoy teaching. So year after year, I continued to do that. The Right-Brain Business Plan kept those principles alive for me until I crafted something that was right for me.

Today, I’m relaunching my business as a Virtual Paint Party Business on May 13th!

 

What advice do you have for other creative entrepreneurs?

Jennyann’s 2017 5th Avenue Coloring Book 

1. Be patient with yourself, if you don’t have it all figured out!

2. Take chances, and do hard things! I had to move my website domain from one website to another recently. I didn’t know how to do it, so I called customer support and asked them to walk me through it. Sometimes it’s hard to ask for help but do it.

3. Keep some things to yourself as you’re creating your business. Sometimes people assume or say things that could make you think that you’re wasting your time. You have to guard your mind, your vision, and your dream.

Check this out!

May 13th is the Big Day!
I am launching something Amazing!
A Virtual Paint Party Business!
Sign Up Here to get notified when I launch and get 30% off one of my Paint Nite Passes or Summer Art Kits that are coming soon!

Name: Lauren Brownstein
Business Name: PITCH: Fundraising and Philanthropy Consulting
Website: http://pitchconsulting.com
Blog: http://pitchconsulting.com/blog

Note from Jenn: Our next “Where are they now?” RBBP Spotlight is on the inspiring Lauren Brownstein. I had the pleasure of meeting Lauren when I led a Dream Box Workshop back in 2009. That was a fun evening! I featured Lauren’s incredibly creative paper plate mobile RBBP (one of my all time favorite formats!) in the RBBP book and I’ve loved seeing that Lauren has continued to make new RBBPs through the years to help her envision her goals for her business. For non-profits or fundraisers, make sure to check out Lauren’s offer at the end of her spotlight! Enjoy!

This is part of a series of “Where are they now?” RBBP Spotlight posts that will be shared throughout 2021 in celebration of the Right-Brain Business Plan book’s 10th year anniversary.

 Jenn and Lauren got to meet at a 2009 Dream Box Workshop Jenn led in DC.

What is your business and what makes your business unique?

Lauren’s paper plate mobile RBBP featured in the RBBP book.

PITCH: Fundraising and Philanthropy Consulting helps nonprofits work smarter and raise more philanthropic dollars, through strategies that help organizations stand out from the pack in a crowded fundraising marketplace. From grant writing to fundraising campaigns to board and staff training, PITCH works with nonprofits across the country and around the globe, with a particular specialization in foundation relations and in working with small to mid-sized nonprofits. PITCH’s Small & Mighty Membership Program, designed for those smaller nonprofits, delivers a tightly curated set of fundraising and nonprofit management resources directly to its members’ inboxes each month.

How has the Right-Brain Business Plan® helped you? What is different for you and your business after approaching planning in a creative, visual way?

Lauren’s RBBP evolving

The RBBP has helped me walk the talk. My company embraces a creative approach to grant writing and fundraising; in a highly competitive fundraising landscape, creativity helps organizations’ fundraising communications stand out and remain memorable to potential donors. My RBBPs have helped me stay creatively ignited while reminding me of the innovation, playfulness, and personal touch that I bring to my work. My clients appreciate working with me because I am meticulous, focused, personable, and fun! My RBBP reminds me to stay true to my vision and values.

Lauren’s RBBP

Tell us about your RBBPs through the years:

Lauren’s updated RBBP on a loop.

I want my clients to raise more money with greater clarity and ease. I want them to feel taken care of, and also empowered. I want them to have fun with this work! These values always have been a part of the “vision” section of my RBBP – a powerful reminder for myself, each year. I’ve also outlined various revenue goals; not just how much money I want to bring in, but what I want my real hourly rate to be (how much I actually earn divided by how many hours I work). This helps me measure my progress towards my ultimate goal: work less and earn more! Some years I hit my annual goal, and some years I don’t, but overall, through the 10 years I’ve been making RBBPs (and the 18 years I’ve had my consulting practice), I have been able to raise that real hourly rate. I also have consistently gotten feedback from clients that the kind of experience I want them to get is the kind of experience they are getting by working with me.

Folding RBBP

What advice do you have for other creative entrepreneurs?

Any entrepreneur can be a “creative entrepreneur,” even if the work doesn’t at first seem creative. Taking a creative approach will help you crystalize your vision and feel, even more strongly than you may already do, that you are really a part of your business, that your heart and soul is in it. Embrace that! It’ll provide the motivation that helps you keep going when the going gets tough.

Lauren’s RBBP cards

Check this out!

What if fundraising could be inspirational?
And creative?
And… fun?
What if you could approach your next grant proposal with confidence?

What if you could work smarter and achieve fundraising better results?

What if raising a fortune didn’t cost you a fortune?

While there are plenty of fundraising resources out there to help you write grant proposals, find new donors, and stay on top of philanthropic trends… it’s just way too much information for anyone to absorb. Some of what’s out there is helpful. Some of it is mediocre. A lot of it is junk.

With the Small & Mighty Membership program, you won’t have to sift through the clutter. Each month, you’ll get short, actionable, results-oriented tools that have been road-tested over 25+ years of working with a vast array of nonprofits. All for the price of about two trips to Starbucks per month. More info at: https://pitchconsulting.com/product/small-mighty-membership/.

Name: Jen Young
Business Name: Jennifer Marie Young
Website: https://jennifermarieyoung.com
Blog: https://jennifermarieyoung.com/musings
Instagram: @jenyoungdakini
Facebook: https://facebook.com/jenyoungdakini

Note from Jenn: Our next “Where are they now?” RBBP Spotlight stars the wonderful Jen Young. Jen was a long-time cohort in my past mentorship program and I had the pleasure of also coaching her 1:1 then as well. Then in 2019 while I was in the DC area for my meditation teacher training opening ceremony, we finally got to meet in person!!! It’s been inspiring to see Jen’s journey from doing personal training to choosing to teach yoga full-time and how she’s continuing to evolve her offerings. Make sure to check out her upcoming new book and classes shared at the end of the spotlight!

This is part of a series of “Where are they now?” RBBP Spotlight posts that will be shared throughout 2021 in celebration of the Right-Brain Business Plan book’s 10th year anniversary.

 Jenn Lee and Jen Young in 2019 in the DC area

What is your business and what makes your business unique?

BYDC Shakti Circle
photo credit: Emily Belson Photography, https://emilybelson.com/

I’m Jennifer Marie Young. I’m a Somatic & Yoga Instructor, Medicine Carrier and Temple Artist. I recognize the body as a uniquely constituted temple, where the individual self and Divine Self unite. I love to empower change-makers to cultivate an intimate relationship with themselves, sustain their vitality and embody all they were born to become.

My clients and students appreciate my ability to pay close attention to both what is said and what is not said during our sessions. Through this intuitive communication, a personally curated experience unfolds. It thrills me to witness a client’s face light up in amazement when they discover a gift, talent or ability they did not know they possessed.

How has the Right-Brain Business Plan® helped you? What is different for you and your business after approaching planning in a creative, visual way?

Jen’s 2013 RBBP

I find that approaching a business plan the Right-Brain Business Plan (RBBP) way is the most practical. The facts and figures approach of traditional business plans has always felt nebulous. Numbers are intangible to my mind.

Images and metaphors, however, have amazing manifesting power for me. When I first created my RBBP Big Vision board in 2013, I may not have understood all the images I placed on it at the time. Over the years, I recognized that what was manifesting in my business and life corresponded to that board. My right brain seems to know what my business needs long before my left brain gets the message.

With each revision of my RBBP, I trust the guidance of my imagination more and more.

Tell us about your RBBPs through the years:

Jen’s 2013 RBBP Perfect Customers

I discovered the Right-Brain Business Plan (RBBP) from Jennifer Lee’s 2012 Video Summit. I felt excited about creating my first Right-Brain Business Plan and had so much fun working on it.

Over the years, I have been amazed at how my Right-Brain Business Plan has intuitively guided my business.

Not long after creating my Big Vision Board, I recognized that I no longer wanted to be a personal trainer and train people to “work out” in artificial environments. I was teaching yoga at one of the gyms I worked for. I looked out at the people in the weight room and felt my heart drop. I saw the woman in the upper left corner of my RBBP with the words “Free Yourself.” I immediately decided to leave personal training and pursue teaching yoga full-time.

My right brain knew that I would receive a big lesson from nature about how media teaches us to loath our bodies, especially our bellies. In 2015, I created the 30-day Belly Love Challenge. “Listen to Your Gut” was right there on my RBBP.

My first Perfect Customer Portrait included affluent adventurous moms. When I looked at that portrait, I didn’t feel that passionate. It simply reflected who my clients were at the time.

So I intuitively created a new Perfect Customer Portrait that I call “Creative Spiritual Warriors.” Within a year of creating that portrait, I was teaching yoga to the very people my right brain revealed to me in that new Perfect Customer Portrait. I have witnessed these young change-makers blossom into community leaders who serve from a place of abundance rather than self-sacrifice and depletion. We have co-created the Bhakti Yoga DC Shakti Circle together. Some of these creative spiritual warriors have started their own circles.

The foundation of my RBBP supported the changes I needed to make in my business with the 2020 shutdown. “Dreaming in Jennifer’s Magical World” showed up as a book I wrote called “Harnessing the Power of the Senses,” which chronicles my spiritual journey during the 2020 shutdown.

Without my Right-Brain Business Plan, I don’t know if I would still have a business at all. I may have become disgruntled, burned out, and resentful had my right brain not had a say in my business.

I look forward to what my right brain has in store for 2021.

2021 RBBP Perfect Customers

What advice do you have for other creative entrepreneurs?

I would advise other creative entrepreneurs to get clear on whom you serve and why you want to serve them. Knowing WHO and WHY is magnetic.

Once I defined who my perfect customers are, they started to show up to my events and classes. Once I understood why I serve them, ideas for stand out offers began to flow.

I had to take some time and pay lots of attention to what showed up on my RBBP to find my who and why but it has made all the difference in honing in on my offerings recently.

Jen’s 2021 RBBP Big Vision

Check this out!

Jen’s first book is coming out this spring! Harnessing the Power of the Senses accounts her 42-day exploration of sense appetites influence on the mind, perception and reality. Included in the book are instructions for practices to inhibit sense appetites for creativity and mental health. Visionary Artist, Summer Blake, illustrated the book.

In late 2020, Jen gave a webinar on the yoga practice of controlling the senses. Sign up to receive the webinar slides and audio and learn more about the book at https://jennifermarieyoung.com/the-book.

Jen will also be teaching in the FIFTH YEAR of Pull, Pen, Paint with Kiala Givehand and a host of other stellar guest teachers. Pull, Pen, Paint started the week of March 19th with the first of four VIRTUAL RETREAT style weekends. Registration is still open and will be ongoing through September. Jen will be guiding a ceremony during the next Pull, Pen, Paint retreat during the weekend of June 18-20.

This class is about learning to listen to your intuition more deeply by connecting to a long list of tools, techniques, and topics. We use tarot, oracle cards, astrology, numerology, poetry, painting, storytelling, signs, symbols, and systems to strengthen our inner wisdom. Kiala has brought together more than 30 teachers from all walks of life to share their love of journaling, creativity, divination, and self-exploration to uncover the answers that live inside of us.

You can learn more at http://bit.ly/ppp2021templearts.

Name: Rebecca Villarreal
Business Name: Rebecca Villarreal, Author
Website: http://rebeccavillarreal.com
Blog: https://rebeccainspiresnow.com
Instagram: @rebeccavillarrealwriter
Facebook: Rebecca.Villarreal.Writer
Twitter: @RebeccaVWriter

Note from Jenn: I’m delighted to bring you our next “Where are they now?” RBBP Spotlight featuring the fabulous Rebecca Villarreal. During one of my video summits, Rebecca submitted a super inspiring video (embedded below) to win a scholarship and I still remember how much her enthusiasm and passion shined through as she talked about her book idea. Then, it was soooo cool to see when she hit the milestone of publishing her book! She brought her Big Vision to life – Yay! Rebecca and I got to meet in-person in 2014 at the World Domination Summit in Portland and I remember getting to ride on the shuttle with her and hearing all about the creative stuff she’d been up to. She just oozes inspiration, positivity and creativity!

Rebecca will be featured on The Listen Podcast on March 29 featuring her stories from East Africa and more writing adventures. I hope you can tune in! Please follow her blog at https://rebeccainspiresnow.com for updates on the sequel and inspiring tools for your heart and mind. And consider purchasing The Amazing Adventures of Selma Calderón, A Globetrotting Magical Mystery of Courage, Food & Friendship for yourself or a loved one! Or ask your local library to carry it!

This is part of a series of “Where are they now?” RBBP Spotlight posts that will be shared throughout 2021 in celebration of the Right-Brain Business Plan book’s 10th year anniversary.

Rebecca and Jenn at the 2014 World Domination Summit

What is your business and what makes your business unique?

Radio interview for book

As an author, my business focuses on food, family and fiction as a pathway to peace. I’m writing the sequel to The Amazing Adventures of Selma Calderón, A Globetrotting Magical Mystery of Courage, Food & Friendship. The story centers around multicultural middle schoolers with magical powers who go on a quest from Chicago to rescue a “kidnapped” dad and inadvertently save the world while committing a felony and eating their way through Italy. There’s also mermaids and fairies who make a mean sweet potato pie. The unique goals are: to help readers of diverse backgrounds believe in everyday magic by seeing themselves reflected in the characters and to raise awareness about the value of real food, combating the work of corporations who are poisoning our food systems. I also work with clients who would like to move a dream, business or book to concrete reality through strategic intuitive business consulting.

How has the Right-Brain Business Plan® helped you? What is different for you and your business after approaching planning in a creative, visual way?

Rebecca’s RBBP on a breadcrumb can

The RBBP provided me a visual framework to keep my dream alive and focus on the elements of my novel. In 2013, at my day job, I hung a long orange ribbon fastened with everything from motivating words related to the novel to an actual light bulb as a physical reminder to keep the ideas coming. The Get the Word Out playsheet was instrumental in my simple and highly effective #telltwo book launch as it was timed just two months after fulfilling another lifelong dream of moving my family from Chicago to California. The business landscape playsheet was also the launchpad for creating another visual tool in 2015–this time out of a breadcrumb can which focused on my ideal reader. Using visual tools over plain documents and spreadsheets provided the anchor I needed as a creative to ground me in the purpose of my business, especially during times of self-doubt and uncertainty.

Tell us about your RBBPs through the years:

My big vision for my business is to foster peace through family, food, fun and fiction. And it’s family in the non-traditional sense of the word. I started by winning a scholarship from Jenn based on the desire to finally finish writing my novel and publish it. Up until lighting a spark with my involvement in the RBBP community, it was very slow going given that I was juggling motherhood and a full-time day job. I also decided to donate 5% of net profits to Teaching for Change which is an organization committed to social equity and justice, starting in the classroom. One of the fundamental aspects of both of my visual representations of my RBBP was the idea of embodiment. I wanted to continue living a curious and adventurous life while completing the first novel and later while researching and writing the sequel. A few highlights include researching labyrinths in various parts of California, returning to Orcas Island for a Writer’s Retreat in the woods, manifesting a research trip to Italy, a feature in the Huffington Post and a radio interview. Equally important were the friendships I formed through the RBBP community. Monica Garcia took me to my first labyrinth. Barbara Boyd hosted us in Italy and is my book coach for the sequel. And I co-facilitate a mastermind with Ho’omalamalama Brown [who is also a long-time RBBPer].

Research trip through Italy

What advice do you have for other creative entrepreneurs?

Join a community like RBBP and learn from the tools. The flexibility of Jenn’s approach allows for tons of creativity and freedom while providing a structure for accountability. Focus on reciprocal relationships with creatives who are doing the work daily or at least weekly. It’s normal for all of us to feel the feels and shared vulnerability is great, but when it becomes a habit that prevents you from moving forward, pay attention and ask hard questions. You don’t have to love every aspect of your business, but it’s important to recognize if it’s aligned with your inner drive.