Maverick Mind

Ellie Foden
  • 5.0 (3)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to Maverick Mind - if you are a creative, artistic, and visionary human, on the path to living in alignment with our creative expression and finding your freedom on your terms, then you're in the right place. I'm your host Ellie Foden: VOGUE-featured fashion designer, entrepreneur, mindset coach, and yoga + meditation teacher, and consider this your home to dive deep into the messy and magical moments of creative living and to find inspiration and guidance along your path to maverick creative success. Let's dive in!

  1. 3D AGO

    No One’s Coming to Tell You You’re Ready — Jonathan Schüßler on Building a Creative Career Without Overthinking

    🖤 Try Ember for 7 days free ⁠⁠⁠here ⁠⁠⁠ 🖤 In this episode of Maverick Mind, I’m joined by Jonathan Schüßler — a wedding photographer and videographer who built his career not through a perfectly mapped-out plan, but by committing to something and figuring it out as he went. Because at some point on a creative path, you realise…no one’s actually going to tell you you’re ready. Jonathan’s journey started in an unexpected way — he originally set out to buy a guitar, but left with a camera instead. Within a few months, he was shooting his first wedding, learning in real time and building from experience. What followed wasn’t instant success, but a process of trial and error, investing in his growth, and continuing to show up — even in a highly competitive and saturated industry. In this conversation, we explore: how to develop your style while you’re still learningdealing with self-doubt and never quite feeling satisfied with your workwhat it really takes to build a sustainable creative businessand how to find the balance between what people need and what you want to deliverWe also talk about the shift from focusing purely on the craft, to focusing on the people you’re creating for — and how that can completely change the way you approach your work. This is a conversation about committing to your path, taking action before you feel ready, and learning as you go. Follow MAVERICK MIND⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or my personal page ⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find my website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Jonathan on Instagram ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ Web - www.jonathanschuessler.com / www.chuzlaire.com

    55 min

  2. APR 6

    Maybe Your Blockages Go Back Further Than You Think? Chris Nielsen on Past Lives & Tchaikovsky

    In this episode of Maverick Mind, I’m joined by Chris Nielsen — whose path spans classical ballet, cultural communication, and now the world of therapy and past life regression. This conversation starts with a question: What if some of the things we struggle with don’t just come from this lifetime? Chris’s journey began in the highly structured world of classical ballet, before reaching a point where something no longer fit — not because she didn’t love it, but because she realised she wasn’t meant to follow a path built on imitation. From there, her path took a series of turns — through theatre, into cultural communication, including work at the Cannes Film Festival, and eventually into the world of therapy and healing. Now, her work explores deeper layers of identity, emotional patterns, and the possibility that some of what we carry might go further back than we think. In this conversation, we explore: what it feels like to be in the right world, but the wrong rolehow to navigate identity shifts and leave a path that once felt like everythingfollowing intuition when it doesn’t make logical senseand how exploring deeper patterns can shift the way we understand ourselvesChris also shares her experience of past life regression, including what she believes to be a past life as composer Tchaikovsky, what she’s uncovered through that process and how she shared that through her book 'Being Pyotr Ilyich'. This isn’t a conversation about what you should believe. It’s an invitation to stay open, get curious, and explore a different perspective on identity, healing, and the stories we carry. Take what resonates, and leave the rest. Follow MAVERICK MIND⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or my personal page ⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find my website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🖤 Try Ember for 7 days free ⁠⁠here ⁠⁠🖤 Follow Chris on Instagram ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ Find her website⁠ ⁠here⁠⁠

    1h 24m

  3. MAR 30

    Why You Struggle to Communicate Your Ideas and How to Find Your Voice with Sherry Fang

    If you’ve ever struggled to articulate what you do, explain your work clearly, or feel truly confident in your voice — this episode is for you. In this conversation, I’m joined by communication coach Sherry Fang, who helps creatives, founders, and experts translate their ideas into something that actually lands — whether that’s in their content, their brand, or their work. Because the truth is, communication isn’t just about clarity.It’s about identity. Sherry has worked with everyone from doctors and PhDs to founders and creatives, helping them communicate their ideas, build their message, and feel more confident being seen. She’s also the creator of Soft Power Project — a podcast and coaching practice exploring a more grounded, intentional approach to confidence and self-expression. In this episode, we explore: why so many creatives struggle to express themselves clearlyhow to find your voice without losing your authenticitythe tension between being understood and staying true to yourselfwhat happens when you start putting a price on your workand how to move from overthinking into clarity and confidenceThis is a conversation about self-expression, identity, and learning how to communicate your work in a way that actually connects. Follow MAVERICK MIND⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or my personal page ⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find my website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🖤 Try Ember for 7 days free ⁠⁠here ⁠⁠ 🖤 Follow Sherry on Instagram ⁠⁠here⁠⁠

    56 min

  4. MAR 23

    The Creative Pivot: From Ancient Craft to Modern Story with Regina Linke

    In this episode of Maverick Mind, I’m joined by author and illustrator Regina Linke — whose work sits at the intersection of art, storytelling, and ancient philosophy. Regina creates in the traditional Chinese gongbi painting style — a highly detailed form of brush painting that’s been used for storytelling for thousands of years. But her path into this world wasn’t conventional. After a career in marketing and technology, she began studying this classical art form in her mid-thirties after moving to Taiwan with her family. What followed was a creative pivot that would completely reshape her life. After starting as an instagram account, her bestselling series The Oxherd Boy brings together influences from Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism, turning complex philosophical ideas into simple, beautiful stories that both children and adults can connect with. In this conversation, we explore: what it really looks like to start a creative career later in life the discipline of learning a traditional craft — and when to make it your own the balance between honouring tradition and creating something new how to move through the fear of sharing your work and why creativity often begins with following a path that doesn’t make logical sense This is a conversation about trusting your path, embracing the long game, and allowing your work to evolve in its own way. Follow MAVERICK MIND⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or my personal page ⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find my website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Try Ember for 7 days free ⁠⁠here ⁠⁠ Regina on Instagram ⁠⁠The Oxherd Boy | Regina Linke Art Find her website⁠ ⁠here⁠⁠

    1h 4m

  5. MAR 16

    Get Out of Your Head: Alexandra Beller on Feeling Your Creativity, Not Just Doing It.

    🔥 Try EMBER for 7 days free ⁠⁠⁠here ⁠⁠⁠ 🔥 What happens when creativity stops being something you feel… and becomes something you just do? In this conversation, choreographer, director and somatic practitioner Alexandra Beller joins me to explore the difference between executing the work and actually being inside the creative process. Alexandra has spent decades working with movement — first as a professional dancer touring internationally, and later as a choreographer, teacher and somatic practitioner helping people reconnect with their bodies as a source of creativity, insight and meaning. We talk about how many creatives are trained to prioritise external metrics — how something looks, how it’s judged, whether it’s successful — while losing touch with the internal signals that make creative work feel alive in the first place. In this episode we explore: • The difference between doing the movement and actually feeling it• Why many creatives end up creating from the head instead of the body• How productivity culture disconnects us from our natural creative rhythm• The balance between intuition and analytical thinking in the creative process• Why slowing down is often the key to deeper creativity and clarity Follow MAVERICK MIND⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or my personal page ⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find my website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Alexandra: Web: https://alexandrabeller.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alexandrabellerdances TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thelabanista YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8suG0TLGKqufov8IpqLrKw

    53 min

  6. MAR 9

    Sharing Without Shrinking: Justin Marlowe on Visibility & Showing Up Anyway

    What does it actually take to share your work publicly — and keep sharing it? Author and poet Justin Marlowe didn’t ease into writing. He committed fully. After leaving a career in education, he wrote and published his memoir Perfect Strangers: Echoes of a Black Suburban Youth — and then did the part many creatives avoid: he showed up to promote it. Consistently. Publicly. Without shrinking. In this conversation, we talk about what happens after you decide to take your creative work seriously — the momentum, the visibility, the fear, and the discipline it requires to keep going. We explore: Writing and publishing a memoir The realities of hybrid publishing Marketing your work without apology Building creative momentum Navigating criticism without losing your voice Showing up on the days you don’t feel like it Moving through fear instead of waiting for confidence Why community matters for writers Justin speaks honestly about the pressure of pitching agents, refining your craft, facing criticism, and continuing to create even when self-doubt creeps in. This episode is about discipline without rigidity, confidence without ego, and the long game of building a creative life in public. If you’ve ever hesitated to share your work — or posted once and disappeared — this conversation will meet you exactly there. Follow MAVERICK MIND⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or my personal page ⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find my website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Try Ember for 7 days free ⁠⁠here ⁠⁠ Follow Justin on Instagram ⁠⁠here⁠⁠

    59 min

  7. MAR 2

    Dream It. Do It. Aisha Makara on Wild Faith, Joy & Creative Action

    🧡 JOIN EMBER FREE FOR 7-DAYS ⁠⁠⁠here ⁠⁠⁠ 🧡 What happens when you stop waiting for certainty — and start living the experiment? Mongolian artist and entrepreneur Aisha Makara has built a life by testing dreams in real time. From engineering to Hollywood, from creating art that was sent to space to owning a hotel and preparing to sail across oceans — her path isn’t about impulsivity. It’s about full commitment. This conversation explores what it really means to dream it... and give it a shot, without overthinking it. We talk about: • following curiosity instead of convention• committing fully — and knowing when to walk away• outgrowing ambitions that once defined you• choosing alignment over significance• building boldly without needing guarantees• wild faith, joy, and creative action This episode isn’t about chasing random ideas. It’s about having the courage to test your dreams in the real world — and trusting yourself enough to pivot when something no longer fits. For anyone questioning their direction, feeling the nudge toward something new, or wondering whether it’s too late to begin again — this conversation is an invitation to move. Follow MAVERICK MIND⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or my personal page ⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find my website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Aisha on Instagram ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ Find her website⁠ ⁠here⁠⁠

    1 hr

  8. FEB 23

    Can Creativity Be Taught? Stan Lai on Wisdom, Craft & Building a Life’s Work

    Is creativity a talent you’re born with — or something you can train? Playwright and theatre director Stan Lai, one of the most influential figures in contemporary Asian theatre, shares his philosophy of creativity, discipline, and lifelong artistic growth. After studying directing at UC Berkeley, Stan returned to Taiwan in the early 1980s when there was almost no theatre infrastructure and helped build a modern theatre movement from the ground up. Over four decades he has written more than forty plays, including Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land, and developed a creative approach rooted in both craft and lived experience. We talk about his idea of “wisdom and method” — that technique can be taught, but meaningful creativity comes from attention, failure, curiosity, and unlearning what blocks us. In this conversation: whether creativity can be taught discipline vs inspiration unlearning perfectionism failure as part of mastery sustaining creativity over decades the role of life experience in art building meaningful cultural work staying humble through success A thoughtful conversation about developing creativity not just as a skill, but as a way of living and seeing. TRY EMBER FOR 7-DAYS FREE ⁠⁠⁠here ⁠⁠⁠ Follow MAVERICK MIND⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or my personal page ⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find my website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find more info about Stan, his plays and his book 'CreativitRy' ⁠ ⁠here⁠⁠

    55 min
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Trailer

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Welcome to Maverick Mind - if you are a creative, artistic, and visionary human, on the path to living in alignment with our creative expression and finding your freedom on your terms, then you're in the right place. I'm your host Ellie Foden: VOGUE-featured fashion designer, entrepreneur, mindset coach, and yoga + meditation teacher, and consider this your home to dive deep into the messy and magical moments of creative living and to find inspiration and guidance along your path to maverick creative success. Let's dive in!

Information

  • Creator
    Ellie Foden
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    61
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Ellie Foden
  • Show Website
    Maverick Mind