Life Designer with Jingyu Chen Jingyu Chen

Coming from a upbringing  where education around self-love  and confidence seem to be missing,  Beverly price discovered her path from self-expression to self-empowerment  in later her adulthood. The road to self-empowerment  comes  with pain and struggles,   but Beverly said, without being self-empowered ,  she wouldn’t   have that strengths  to pivot  to  Jewelry design from finance sector.   It took her 30 years to reach other side of  self-empowerment while  she believe  it doesn’t  need to be that much long for women to get there.  She is hence missioned -driven to  take women on a journey from self-expression to self-empowerment. she funded  her Jewellery brand Nastava that featuring bespoke Pieces and finest materials.  As an intuitive designer, she pours in soul and heart in each piece . The goal of  Nastava is to empower and inspire  her clients with the  boldness and uniqueness element  in her creation. She believes This transformation on the outside, along with a transformation on the inside, is the best recipe for confidence and self-empowerment. When you feel beautiful outside, you feel empowered inside. 
She further shared other foundations of self-empowerment: don’t compare yourself  with others.  Often we compare our inside with other’s outside  which always ends up feeling  the  sense of inadequacies . What we should focus on is to fall I love with authentic  ourselves and be comfortable on own  skin. We should also switch the victim mindset to I am responsible  for myself.  Somtimes professional help is needed to find that strength to move forward. 
Beverly  described her Entrepreneurial Journey as an emotional roller coaster  ride . She said Entrepreneurial world is not for everyone . But if you do want to build your own business, you should  take that leap of faith eventually.  There is little voice inside us  that take us to our true  calling . There  are some nudges  in our life along the way that ‘push’ us to embark  on the journey.  She addressed  struggling  facing  female funder in current  funding  ecosystem, and   what takes to be a successful  entrepreneur ( resilience ,  optimism  , mindset shift, building support network, etc.,  ). When self-doubt and second guess creep in ( which is inevitable )  you are still able to cope emotionally  well and keep going! 
She just launched a new podcast called  Her-Self-Expression ( I am a big fan ) and built  Her- Self -Expression Sisterhood, a Facebook Group. Both  are extension of her life-long  mission: Support and Advocate for women’s personal journey from self-expression to self-empowerment!
 Beverly shared:
Being  a participant is  the key  in  support network so you can  have fuller and richer life experience,  and you can’t just expect  people to come to you . You need to be an active part as well. Essentially  you  need  to be that kind of friend somebody want to be friend with.
Believe in yourself  no matter what.
When the pain of problem comes  greater than the  solution of the pain,  change will happen.
When you get to other side of empowerment, it doesn’t mean you arrived and the journey ended . The journey continues through your whole life.
The biggest  thing is walking through your fear, just put  one foot in front another ,and keep going.
 
Connect to Beverly:
Website: herselfexpression

                     

Amy's initial intention of writing a book was to get some press and have her screenplay picked up by Hollywood. It was such a life-defining moment when she realized her book actually brings so many joys and creates an escape for her readers. Her two books (Book of Failures / We're All A Mess, It's OK)  also are a big commercial success: both are number one sellers on Amazon  among other hit humor writers  like Trevor Noah,  Tina Fay, etc., but she is no longer
obsessed  about  having to have her film made by Hollywood. She hence found her consistent drive of writing which is to make people laugh and feel better about their struggles. She also dedicated three chapters of the first book to her travel to China.  She always opens herself to the outside world with strong curiosity which also passed on to her children!   Her true openness and inclusiveness got me connected to her on a deep and personal level!

We both are uplifted by others’ words  (readers, audiences, peers, etc.,).  Expressing our appreciation and admiration to others does matter.  Building a support network and community not only makes us feel less lonely on this passion-pursuit journey but also brings us a new perspective and inspiration!  We both believe life is about building connections and reaching out to those we appreciate or want to Learn with!  But Amy never expects to gain anything but rather always thinks about what to offer first.  Her experience also approves that when you genuinely reach out to someone, often you will get so much in return  ( friendship, mutual support, etc).  Although reach-out may end up being rejected,  the reach-out itself is still a worthy and fun way of expressing our feelings!
It’s one thing that two persons feel click or not,  it’s another thing that how you treat people.  We both adopt Zero tolerance to mean people who don’t treat people with basic respect. Holding  that  gratitude in heart plays a long way!

Like any creative person,  Amy experienced her zone moments which is in writing.  We both feel it’s the most amazing experience when entering that zone! That’s how we know we found our true passion! Looking back on this passion-pursue journey,  Amy said she felt so grateful and blessing to be able to achieve so much although her ultimate goal of being  that writing room is yet to be fulfilled.  This podcast journey with her is beyond words amazing, and I want to highlight some reflections and thoughts of her that I will always  keep in my mind:

There is truth, honesty, and value just to pursue your dream, regardless of the results.
There are lots of little wins you need to celebrate in the process of pursuing your dream.
Sometimes we feel if I have this thing, we will be happy. The truth is you probably won't be , because it's  not  about a thing, money or one particular reward, I think it's about the Journey.
100 % pursue your passion at a younger age, but it’s never too late to start, just start doing something from today!

It's’ about the journey, not the destination. While Amy and  I both are still on the journey, we believe the best way to go through this journey is to trust and enjoy the process that will lead to our end goal!  I wholeheartedly believe Amy will break into that writing room where she belongs to!

Connect to Amy
Website: amylyle
Instagram: amylyleauthor
Her Book on Amazon: Amy-Lyle
Ted Talk: finding the funny in the crummy

From the outside look inside,  Amy is such a multi-hyphenate, wearing lots of hats. She pivoted a big way from finance to the creative world where she is currently thriving! This is another inspiring story that if you dare to dream and the dream will come true!
It all started her role shift from a working person to a stay-home Mum, which promoted her to find her first creative outlet: Acting on the local church stage. She committed to performing there for a decade which also got her to connect to her biggest passion: Becoming a Screenwriter! To reach the end goal of having her screenplay picked up by Hollywood, she took a Hollywood attorney’s advice of getting some press first which led to the frequency of all events. She wrote two best-selling humor books( Book of Failures /  We're All A Mess, It's OK) on Amazon, became a regular guest in a Morning show in Atlanta , played her first lead role in the movie ‘ the intervierwers’, did a Ted Talk, and is running a local TV Show'' In The Burbs” and an active stand-up Comedienne, etc., the list can go on.
Looking back, she said everything she did was not by any grand design but go above what she thought she was capable of. She embarked on an unknown and even a bit scary journey which turned out to be the best years of her life. She shared that the best feeling is to overcome that fear and take that plunge of trying something you were not initially good at but over time you became better and even mastered it. 
Growing up in a raging family, Amy, since she was little girl, found humor as the safety net in her life. Her natural sense of humor not only saved her from those traumatized moments in childhood but also extends  into her adulthood and becomes a big trademark of all her creative work. She believes humor can be found everywhere (personal life, workplace, and creative pursuit, etc., ) even in the weirdest place and darkest moments. She said comedy often comes from a place of pain and humor is a comedian's coping mechanism. Of course humor didn’t discriminate against backgrounds or anything. We need more humor and comedians in this world. Personally, I believe humor is the ultimate optimism and resilience built in a person’s spirit and character!
There are different types of humor. Amy appreciates self-deprecating/observational versus personal attack ., She and I both believe humor should bring joy to someone, not at a cost of anyone. I really appreciate Amy fully leveraging her talents in humor and tapping into creativity, fulfilling her mission of making the whole world laugh!
Here comes the most generous sharing from Amy:  Humor ( If not fortunate enough to carry it naturally lol ), can be developed and mastered as a skill! Taking a comedy class helps those who aim to be stand-up comedians, but just in a general sense, helps to increase a person’s confidence (in public speaking, etc.,) in their fields. Other tricks and tips to add humor to our daily life include journaling funny things, watching funny movies, and reading funny books, etc., Humor is a piece of muscle we should intentionally exercise and practice! 
It’s a dream come true for me to get to do this ‘ humor episode’ with a such kind and joyful soul! Tune in  our second episode and we are gonna  dive in  Amy’s  creative world ( Her books, ultimate goals  Zone status, ideal lifestyle, etc) Don’t miss  the joys!
 
Connect to Amy
Website: amylyle
Instagram: amylyleauthor
Her Book on Amazon: Amy-Lyle
Ted Talk: finding the funny in the crummy

Miki Sakai Photography creates a one of kind photoshoot journey for each of her clients. Storytelling is the heart of Miki’s craft. The way she tells a story is to capture the authentic and unposed moments in a session (family portraits, wedding, branding,etc). Drawing inspiration from everything  (traveling, movies, books, conversations with others, etc.,),  Miki describes her style as natural and candid with documentary and boutique aesthetics.   As one of her audiences, the way I connect to her photography work is that instant desire to dive into the stories behind those images she photographed.     

Miki deeply values the connection she builds with her clients on an emotional and personal level, which not only leads to the final fine artwork she produced but also a unique journey her clients will memorize and enjoy. To align her artistic pursuit as an artist/ photographer with clients’ expectations, she addressed two contributing factors.  First is always to be consistent and clear with the work she presents on her Website/ Social Media platforms. Then initial face-to-face consultation intends to establish the clients’ understanding towards this is  photoshoot journey , and the good communication  carries  through  the actual shooting session and the entire process with her clients.  As Miki said, she will never photograph silently.  It’s a personal experience and emotional moment she and her client create and collaborate together, which eventually becomes a timeless artwork and memory.  I believe Miki truly fulfils her mission of building a journey to narrate a client’s story.
Miki is an artistic and creative photographer and a genuine and caring character. Both her talents and personality, I believe, help to turn her passion into a business as well. As one of her clients comment to her: Miki is not just a good photographer but also a good person. 

Being a sole trader  takes the challenge to into next level.  The communication /organizational  skills she had developed as an Architect translate into current business operations, but many aspects of running a business (finance, accounting, legal, etc.) all need to be addressed.  The biggest challenge for a sole trader, as Miki said, is the absence of team support and always making business decisions on her own.
Pandemic took a huge toll on the industry as a whole and also individual business owner.  But Miki focused on what she can to improve her craft and scale her business.   She also believes the community is such an essential support network emotionally and professionally, especially for sole traders.  Reach-out to build a connection with people around the world has never been easier thanks to social media.  She put herself in a fellow photographer community where she can share  her journey!  I strongly resonate with her that community brings us a sense of belonging and is a significant source of motivation!

Moving forward, Miki aims to expand her client base around the world, which allows her to utilize  her skills and backgrounds as someone who has lived and worked internationally.  I got so excited for her and gained so much sense of hope from her future vision and am keen to forward this positive energy to everyone.

Coming to the end of this amazing conversation, Miki’s advice for making a pivot is:  do take the risks but calculated risks; it takes time to make the shift but you don’t want to live a life with regrets, and it’s really ok to shift the course of your career/life at any point.  Don’t set a limit on yourself!

Connect to Miki on Instagram: mikisakaiphotography    Website:  Miki Sakai Photography

Growing up and moving around a number of countries, (Tokyo, NY,  London, Buenos Aires, and now Sydney), Miki describes herself  living a nomadic lifestyle as a Global Citizen.   She made a conscious decision from a young age that not being fixed to her own belief, judgments or thoughts, truly embracing diverse ways of thinking and living, because something perceives as normal in one place may not be in another part of the world.   She also becomes a person with strong curiosity who  always intrigued by new ideas, language, culture.,  I believe both her upbringing and kindness in nature built her diversity ideology and curiosity traits, which leads her to explore life possibilities infinitely.  We both also believe that we are  not confined by the external environment or conditions. There is always a outlet that will spark your curiosity and connects you to the outside world.


On the flipped side, this nomadic lifestyle  put Miki experiencing inner struggle with identity sense particularly tracing back to her young teens. As she recalled, she might  try very hard to assimilate to being British or at one point try to be Japanese.  Eventually, she realized there is no need to define one identity she has, but it’s a journey to finally reaching that point where she feels comfortable being  on her own skin and just to be authentic herself. 


Those growth pains (fitting in cultural shock, etc) are real and there is no exemption from those struggling, but both Miki and I believe we can turn negativity into positivity,  and it’s gonna be better and it does get better. 


Trips to South America hands down is one of Miki’s life-defining moments, which sparks her passion for photography.   As she said, she was hooked by this wondrous landscape, the rich and diverse cultures, and the extraordinary people there.  Small sparks gradually over years grew into her biggest passion. 


Miki said, after gaining more life experience at a later stage of life, we can make a more informative and conscious decision about what we really want to pursue.  It is a bit too much asking for 17 years old to make a big life &career decision and it’s ok to change your mind later on along the line. (But we are not blindly encouraging anyone to switch to another lane. If you are content with your current path, stick to it!)   In Miki’s case, it took 7 years to just get qualified to be an Architect. When time costs and investment are so high, making a career pivot certainly is not a quick transition.   It took her years and years of skill-building and soul searching to finally transform from architect to photographer. 


Looking back to her Architect journey which she contributed a huge course of her life, it’s a bittersweet but definitely precious life experience she will cherish forever.  She shared that once you are an architect, you are always an architect.  I also believe many things like the skillset we developed in our first life also end up being useful, translated, and applied to our second life.  Tune into our PART TWO episode where we are entering Miki’s second life of her being as a photographer!

Connect to Miki on Instagram: mikisakaiphotography       Website:  Miki Sakai Photography  
                                                                          

Chloe has had a wide range of interests since she was a kid.  Her curiosity in nature eventually led her to land in Media/ PR industry.   Breaking into Australia's mainstream broadcasting news outlet SBS ( which is the major network to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services) as a migrant, her success in the local media industry truly brings diversity, representation, and inclusiveness into communities. However, success never comes easily. Back in the early days of working in a small media agency, she experienced toxic workplace culture which took a heavy toll on her confidence and self-worth. She learned one important lesson from there ‘don’t let anyone bring you down’!  Moving forward, she is always grabbing every opportunity which most of the time appears as a challenge. 30 years look back, Chloe shared one important learning is to always stay positive. With that positive  mindset in place, she is not as anxious as she used to be when facing challenges, because deep down inside, she knows it’s just a matter of time to overcome them.  I was so empowered by this as it’s a long-evolved journey through countless mistakes and failures to build inner resilience and confidence, eventually leading to that positivity mentality. Chloe also candidly addressed that she had so many failures but it’s a valuable experience to  grow from them.

At this stage, of her life, she is focusing on work-life balance because a career is just part of life. she is forever on the journey of becoming a better self and never puts a limit on her pursuit. I like her beautiful saying that Life will eventually become more colourful, and we hence create a consistent drive for living our life.
I also appreciate her interpretation of relationships is to gain trust from others, which as she said, is the key factor for her career success at SBS. To climb the corporate ladder, she believes just working hard is not enough, emotional intelligence also plays a crucial role, particularly in the media industry.  Gaining trust is always coming from that genuine intention and place to achieve mutual benefits and unity despite the difference in a corporate context, which also I believe, applies to any types of human connection. In my case, I fell under the mission of running this podcast because I gain trust from my guests. I value trust (which is the genuine connection) the most and I can’t fail to respond to that trust.  
Stepping into a leadership role, Chloe ,who once experienced detrimental leadership in her early career, becomes the leader that creates conditions and culture for her team members to succeed and thrive at work.  She also highly appreciates mentorship which she feels privileged to be given throughout her career-building 
 We also got an in-depth discussion about social medial influence. As an industry insider, Chloe candidly pointed out that social media is an amazing resources pool that we can leverage to our advantage as opposed to being controlled by smart social media algorithms.  I truly agree with what she shared: we have the only thing to do in our life which is to take care of ourselves, our matters, and our relationship.  I also benefit from social media tremendously which is to connect to so many amazing talents around the world. But as Chloe said, what’s more  important is always to focus on yourself not lost in others’ highlight moments feeds. 
We also talked about her workout routine,  ideal lifestyle, and future career development. She is such a woman powerhouse who is truly beautiful inside out.  We are all on the same journey to become better selves towards infinite life possibilities!

Connect to Chloe :
Ins: chloeffk  
小红书: 南半球的克洛伊