Jacquelyn is a modern day explorer who has a relentless curiosity to learn about herself and life. She has been fortunate to travel to 90 countries – mainly solo. In October 2021 she published her first travel memoir, Follow Your Joy.
Can you tell us a little about your background and the company?
I am someone who is curious, a keen book worm and major Podcast listener. I am massively into living a healthy and balanced lifestyle. And the art of happiness. As a lover of travelling, I am constantly inspired by peoples stories, history, and the possibility of what could be. I live by the philosophy ‘you get from the world what you put into it’. I share back through my writing, I want my experiences and words to be ignite a fire in people.
My first travel memoir titled ‘Follow Your Joy’ was published on 5th October 2021. It is an ode to learning about myself and discovering the joy of life along the way. My website and social media platform – Follow Your Joy – showcase my work and how I live my life by following the feeling of joy.
I want to inspire my community to show them they can be or achieve anything they put their mind to. I have created an online course ‘Design your life to achieve your one thing’. 20 years of personal development knowledge and experiences bundled into a self serve course. I am excited for the course to ignite a fire inside those feeling a bit lost, stuck or unmotivated.
How did the idea come to you for the company?
In 2020 I embraced a break in IT project work to explore my creative side. I joined a freelance community and worked as a content curator with Blinkist – an online app sharing bitesize audio non fiction content – every bookworms dream.
From there I created my website, started to write blogs posts, created a social media platform, and soon signed a contract to write and publish my first travel memoir.
You could say I stepped into a world I was always destined to meet, but I had to wait for the world to slow down and provide the space to consolidate years of my life to form my new community.
What are the key successes?
So many. Publishing my first travel memoir, Follow Your Joy. Designing and creating my online course, Design Your Life To Achieve Your One Thing. My article ‘Let’s cheer for today’ featured in a magazine with a 150k readership.
What were/are the challenges and how have you overcome these?
We all have limiting beliefs that will surface as you step out your comfort zone. There can be a various emotions that bubble up and if you don’t control them, they can sabotage your success as they hold you back – you feel the fear of judgement and failure. At times it can feel like you are walking on eggshells, impostering your way through life. Waiting for someone to pat you on the shoulder and ask “Who do you think you are?”.
I didn’t feel a natural writer. I never even had a childhood dream of one day writing and publishing a book, but I did. It felt like I got lucky, but there is no such thing as luck only preparation and opportunity.
I’ve learned these feelings are all natural and part of the process of growth.
What are your plans now/for the future?
I can definitely see more books, and developing my Follow Your Joy platform to bring opportunities and learning to a range of communities from youth to the middle age.
What would you like to share with others to encourage them to start their own entrepreneurship journey?
So many people don’t start and those that do, stop. So, start and don’t stop. Take the first step, the easiest step, the smallest of steps then build momentum. Enjoy the becoming.
Can you share you top tip for entrepreneurial success?
Celebrate the small and big wins.
Who are the 5 people who inspire you the most and why?
Jay Shetty for normalising mental health and spirituality.
Elizabeth Day for bringing us the ‘How not to fail’ podcast and book.
Steven Bartlett, Diary of a CEO, for embracing life and being relentless.
Eliud Kipchoge for showing the world nothing is impossible.
Roger Bannister for showing us our limits are in our minds, when we believe magic can happen.
What are your favourite inspirational /motivational quotes?
I love the quote “What if I fall?” Oh but my darling, What if you fly?” by Erin Hansend from the world.
What are your Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn social handles and also website links so our readers can connect with you?
IG @followyourjoy_ja
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