Mox-ie noun: force of character, determination, nerve, or pep
Welcome to the July Edition of The Moxie!
Welcome to this month’s edition of The Moxie! The school holidays have kicked off here in Scotland, and I’m feeling a mix of excitement AND dread. In my usual "I can do it all myself" fashion, I haven’t booked my daughter into any clubs, and now I’m feeling guilty. Are we going to have enough planned? Will she be bored? Am I enough? How on earth am I going to get any work done? Blah blah blah...
But, I’m choosing to go with the flow! I’m letting go of the expectations I’ve put on myself about what the holidays should look like. Lazy days are glorious, screen time is totally OK, and we can create our own fun. We've got plenty to fill our time, and my work can fit in around everything!
I used to work for the Edinburgh Festivals, and I never really had an August to myself. One of the reasons I changed my career was to have this precious summer time with my daughter, and I’m so grateful for that!
In this edition, you’ll find journaling prompts to get you ready for the next Collectiv. session, the latest What's Hot & What's Not, a spotlight interview with marketing genius Laura Gomez Murphy, the current earworm I’m listening to (and bookworm too!), plus an exclusive announcement of a collaboration Laura and I have developed called Biz Factory—with a special offer just for Moxie subscribers!
I’m a BIG believer in the power of partnership and collaboration. I spent 15 years working with brands and organisations like The New York Times, Edinburgh Gin, and Royal Bank of Scotland. We’re meant to work together, combining our strengths and resources to bring diverse thought and creativity into the world. We can achieve so much more this way than by standing alone. Biz Factory is a testament to strong, supportive working relationships and creativity!
If you want to collaborate with me, reach out and let’s see what’s possible!
I hope you enjoy this edition x
The next Coffee Coaching session will be on Tuesday 9th July at 10am, and the next Workshop will be on Thursday 18th July at 6:30pm (slightly earlier due to summer holidays).
We’re going to be doing a mini Idea's Factory during the workshop session. Come with or without an idea you want to birth! It's going to be a lot of fun...
Here are some journaling prompts to get you started:
Think of a time in your life when you felt most creatively fulfilled. What were you doing?
If there were no limitations, what would your dream project/collab/biz look like?
If you haven't already, here is the link to join us,
THE FIRST MONTH IS FREE!!!
What's Hot & What's Not, is the section where we keep you in the loop with the latest trends and what is falling in and out of favour. It is sprinkled with some of my own options, so take those with a pinch of salt!
What's Hot
**Creative Entrepreneurship -combining creative skills with MONEY!
** Actively seeking feedback from your audience and peers, and then actually use it. It’s all about growth and learning!
** Embrace imperfection and focus on continuous improvement. Progress over perfection, always!
**Make it easy! Focus on what truly matters and ditch the rest. Simplify to amplify baby.
**Long term goals - balance the short term achievements with your future vision
What's Not
**Separating creative pursuits from biz opportunities.
**Ignoring Feedback Dismissing constructive criticism from your audience and peers? That's a big no-no. Feedback is crucial for growth!
**Perfectionism - stop striving for perfectionism at the expense of DOING the thing!
**Over complicating projects - they don't need to be complicated
**Short-term thinking is no way to achieve long term fulfilment
In this edition of The Moxie, we're thrilled to spotlight the inspiring creative talent and valued member of The Collectiv. Laura Gomez Murphy.
From creating mock radio stations as a child to landing prestigious roles in film and music she has continuously reinvented herself, ultimately founding Isherwood Media Group.
When I needed to create my brand and website, I knew exactly who to go to!
1. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background? What inspired you to pursue a creative career?
From childhood I was absolutely obsessed with music and film. I would create bogus radio stations on cassette. At the time I wanted to be a Dj but soon got into Film and TV, which I later studied at University. At uni I landed an internship on the Sony Pictures Studios lot in Los Angeles and had my first experience of the Cannes Film Festival during this placement. After uni I moved to London and worked in film for 7 years, however I felt music calling me back so made the jump from Sony Pictures to Sony Music. I think what inspired me to pursue a creative career was watching movies with my dad (a massive movie buff!), I had older siblings so I would often watch horror/war movies which were not age appropriate (The Exorcism is pretty scary at 8 years old), so as a way of making it less scary would think about what was going on behind that camera, the production setup, lighting, camera work, and set design.
2. What challenges or obstacles have you faced on your journey, and how did you overcome them?
I lived in a very small village in Scotland which had little going on in the Film/ Music/ TV department so pursuing a career in media meant moving away from home at 17. Another crossroad I found difficult was deciding what to do work-wise after having my youngest child. I looked at media jobs with large organisations but I didn't want to join the ‘rat-race’ (working in media can be long hours, highly competitive and lack creative freedom). It was then that I decided to set up Isherwood Media Group. I think for me the biggest challenges have been these pivotal decisions. They felt mahoosive at the time!
3. Describe a moment or experience that was a turning point in your life or career. How did it impact you?
Having my eldest daughter and committing to being a single parent was a turning point in my life and career. It meant leaving my dream job at Sony Music in London and moving back to Scotland (childcare fees and rent on a single salary wasn't going to cut the mustard). I started working for a marketing agency and it was in Scotland that I met my fiance Lee, we now have 3 kids and live by Manchester.
4. What motivated you to seek coaching?
My sister was training to be a coach and recommended a challenge her friend Dr Sarah Madigan was running. I had absolutely no idea what coaching was and my first experience was pretty profound…I didnt shut up for 30 minutes, I don't think my coach could catch a word edgeways :) Honestly, I didn't realise I needed to get so much off my chest. I came away thinking “had i done it right?’ but over the next few days I started to feel different, I felt like there was so much possibility and boy was READY for it!
5. How has coaching or working with me helped you in achieving your goals or vision?
Coaching helped me take the leap with my business, take ownership of my life, and actively create the vision I wanted for myself and my family. There were times I was scared about what could go wrong, but coaching helped me focus on the positives, “What could go right?” Focusing on the possibilities and freedom. Two years down the line, I have a solid client base and have hired an additional team member.
6. What are your future aspirations or goals, and how do you plan to continue growing and evolving?
I would love to get more involved in NGO work. I’m currently supporting an Asylum Seeker charity with their marketing and I feel there is more room for me to give back. I have a calling to produce a humanitarian documentary. This is where coaching really helps as ideas/projects can take their sweet time to materialise and to be totally honest it can be challenging to maintain momentum, coaching helps maintain vision, harnessing the motivation behind the project and tuning into the feelings of purpose rather than getting caught up in the challenges.
Earworm...
Please Please Please
Sabrina Carpenter
OBSESSED with this track by Sabrina Carpenter, for the following reasons:
1)LOVE a Mother F**ker bomb in a sugary pop song
2)The video with her boyfriend Barry Keoghan (whom I am also obsessed with)
3) Her warning him to not f*** it up and embarrass her "Whatever devil's inside you, don't let him out tonight"
4) The complexities of loving someone who doesn't always make the right decisions!
Bookworm...
Splinters: A Memoir
Leslie Jamison
I love a memoir and this one resonates SO much with me! Leslie Jamison shares the grief that came at the end of her marriage, about her intense love for her newborn daughter and about how as a woman you splinter yourself and try to be so many things to so many different people.
Announcement! Biz Factory.....
Biz Factory is me and Laura's joint venture! We've noticed that people spend thousands on training in different modalities but often hit a roadblock when it comes to launching their own services and business.
That's why we have built Biz Factory, a super easy and affordable way for you to launch your business and get the creative/ business coaching support you need in the process. It's a simple off the shelf package that includes coaching, branding, website and marketing.
Bish bash bosh!
You'll hear a bit more from us in the coming weeks, but until then, join our waiting list and get some fun Biz Factory artwork!
I hope you enjoyed this edition of The Moxie! Make sure you are signed up so it drops straight into your inbox each month and get access to the exclusive offers!
If you have any questions or if you're curious about working with me one-on-one, don't hesitate to get in touch. let's explore the possibilities together!
Have a fabulous July!
See you soon
Kat x
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