Rockin’ Partners: Laurel Bleadon-Maffei & Jo Anna Rothman

by Jessica Zambarano on August 15, 2011 · 1 comment

in Co-Creation,Collaboration,Partnerships,Rockin' Partners Series

I’m beyond excited to introduce you to two of the nicest and smartest businesswomen I know!  Laurel Bleadon-Maffei of Illuminating Souls and Jo Anna Rothman of The Receiving Project have partnered to create a successful brand in Big Sparkly Life, as well as the super fun Rock Your World Summit.  Check out this interview to learn how it all went down!

Share with us who you are and tell us a bit about your personal experience with entrepreneurship?

Jo Anna:  I am an intuitive coach, writer and Goddess of Giggles!  I began my entrepreneurial journey in earnest about a year and a half ago. Prior to that I had been working as a therapist in a group home . . . and was pretty miserable.  I thought it was the job, rather than the choice of careers, until I got another job.  They tried to triple my commute by moving the office and I complained.  Less than a month in,  I was fired.  BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED! SERIOUSLY!

In the next few months, I launched The Receiving Project.  It’s a free 32 day e-course designed to teach people how to receive.  To date, over 700 people have participated.  I began working with clients individually as a healer and coach.  And now there is Big Sparkly Life and the Rock Your World Summit!

It has been absolutely an amazing journey. . . I am so grateful.  I am also really excited to see what else there is!

Laurel:  I’m a Channel for the Angelic Realms and Spiritual Teacher & Coach. It’s the coolest job ever and I feel utterly blessed to be able to do this work. 

In 2006 I left my corporate job as a market analyst to launch my company, Illuminating Souls.  There’s a great quote by Rev. Margaret Shepard, “Sometimes your only available transportation is a leap of faith.” – and it truly describes how I launched this business.  I moved through fear, manifested miracles and co-created a beautiful career where I now do angel readings, spiritual life coaching, teaching, mentoring and so much more.  Every day I get to shine love upon the world.  It’s such a blessing!

Working as an entrepreneur stretches me beyond my comfort zone on a regular basis.  I’m very fond of stability and consistency, and this work is all about surrender.  There are some months when business seems slow and I say to my husband, “I don’t know what to do…” and he always replies, “Just show up…” and he’s always right.  Somehow through the ebb and flow of life, miracles blossom  and our business continues to flourish.  And this year I jumped into the adventure of Big Sparkly Life with Jo Anna & we co-created the Rock Your World Summit.  It just keeps getting better & better! 

How did the two of you meet and when and how did Big Sparkly Life come about? Tell us a bit about that partnership.

Jo Anna:  I met Laurel when I took a spiritually-based writer’s group she was facilitating in 2006. The group met in one form or another for several years.  Laurel became a mentor and a friend. I would not be doing the work I do know if it wasn’t for the love, wisdom and encouragement of Laurel.

Big Sparkly Life came about after Laurel invited me on her Blog Talk Radio show to discuss my experiences.  We had SO much fun together that we knew we needed to do more.  After some brainstorming, Big Sparkly Life was born! 

I think we work really well together. We really motivate and assist each other.  Laurel is a design and technical goddess! So she does a lot of the website stuff.  I write the copy (which she tweaks and makes magical).  I also blog most days on BSL. 

Laurel:  As Jo Anna shared, we met when she joined the writer’s group.  She’s pure magic and has the best giggle in the world.  Over the years she has become a dear friend and soul sister.  It’s such a joy to be working together!

When Big Sparkly Life came forward as a possibility, I had been working as a spiritual teacher & intuitive for a few years.  I love my work, but I realized I was craving more fun, laughter and creativity.  Jo Anna was a guest on my radio show and we laughed, did intuitive readings and had the BEST time together. Within in a few days we were inspired to create Big Sparkly Life.

When the opportunity came along to work with Jo Anna it just felt right.  We both hold a big space for others to connect with their dreams, we’re intuitive, and we love to laugh.  As Jo Anna says, we motivate each other.  What’s so cool is that we each have our own business and together we have Big Sparkly Life. It allows us to say “yes” to lots of magic & opportunities.  Jo Anna is simply amazing and I’m so happy for the opportunity to create together!

Do you have a formal partnership agreement or is it a more casual arrangement?

Jo Anna & Laurel:  We don’t have an official partnership agreement.  We are just very clear and open with each other about what we want.  We talk very plainly about the finances.  We both come from the same place of integrity and ethics…it makes working together much easier.

You produced the super-successful Rock Your World Summit which I had the absolute pleasure of being a part of!  Will you share with us what Rock Your World Summit was all about and what inspired you to co-create it?

Jo Anna:  I had the idea for it while taking this amazing marketing bootcamp.  It was an idea about how to really show up in a much bigger way. 

I came home and told Laurel . . . she envisioned it later in the summer.  I wanted to do it ASAP.  And God bless her, she totally went along with it!  Laurel dove in 150%!  She has done so much of what I just don’t know how (or don’t want to know how) to do . . . the design, the packaging and the technical aspects.  I am in such gratitude for her willingness to go along with my enthusiasm.

The summit was a way to really share who we are, what we love as well as the wisdom of others in our community that we love.  For me personally, it was an exercise in courage.  I was so hesitant to ask people to participate at first.  But than I just said, “Screw it.”  I asked everyone I wanted! The worst thing I could hear was no . . . and the few no’s I received were so sweet.  Most peeps said yes . . . and that was awesome!  On every level, the summit was a huge success.

Laurel:  Remember earlier when I said that doing this work stretches me beyond my comfort zone?  Well, God bless, Jo Anna.  She had the big vision for the summit and championed having us schedule it sooner rather than later.  I’m a planner.  I like to take my time and think, and probably over-think things.  But Jo Anna said, “We’re doing it at the beginning of June!” and I didn’t want to miss the party so I jumped on board and said yes!  Jo Anna was fearless in inviting teachers, coordinating the details and attuning to the vibe of the Summit.  As Jo Anna said, it was a great success.

Were there expenses associated with Rock Your World Summit? And if so, how did you manage the finances?

Jo Anna:  The costs came down to the URL, the tele-seminar service, advertising and things of that nature.  We also worked with an amazing woman to assist us in creating the some of the packaging. 

Laurel:  The costs were nominal – the biggest investment was our time and energy.  Since I’m a numbers geek, I take care of the bookkeeping (which before you get too impressed is an excel spreadsheet).  Jo Anna and I just seem to be able to intuitively work out who will pay for which expenses.  We keep a running tally in our heads and switch off paying for items so that we’re splitting the flow.

Did you do all of the work yourselves, or did you have a team or hire contractors to help with the event?

Jo Anna & Laurel:  We worked with Marissa Bracke who assisted us in creating an affiliate program and some other things.  She was amazing!  Other than that, we did most things ourselves!

Lastly, for any women entrepreneurs out there who are considering a collaborative venture, what useful advice can you give them based on your experience?

Jo Anna:  Be very clear within yourself about what you want from the partnership and communicate that clearly.  Be appreciative about what you do and what your partner does.  Have fun with it!

Laurel:  Just like going into a relationship, it’s important to enter into the partnership from a place of wholeness.  I think one of the things that makes Jo Anna and I work together so well is that we’re both really strong in who we are.  We’re both really balanced, generous of spirit and we’re both really big fans of each other.  We make space for each other, share the work and communicate clearly.  It’s important to know that you are joining with someone who enhances you and you do the same for them.  All too often I see people collaborating from a place of fear and lack – and that’s something I’d never recommend.  But if you’re clear in your gifts and abilities and there’s someone who inspires you and you sense you will work well together, talk it through and listen to your intuition.

VISIT:

Big Sparkly Life: bigsparklylife.com

Rock Your World Summit: Click here to view more details

Contact Laurel
Email: laurel@illuminatingsouls.com
illuminatingsouls.com

Contact Jo Anna
Email: JoAnna@receivingproject.com
thereceivingproject.com

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